A Universal Truth: No Health Without a Workforce - Third Global Forum on Human Resources for Health Report | WHO

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The world will be short of 12.9 million health-care workers by 2035; today, that figure stands at 7.2 million. This WHO report warns that the findings – if not addressed now – will have serious implications for the health of billions of people across all regions of the world.

The report identifies several key causes. They include an ageing health workforce with staff retiring or leaving for better paid jobs without being replaced, while inversely, not enough young people are entering the profession or being adequately trained. Increasing demands are also being put on the sector from a growing world population with risks of noncommunicable diseases (e.g. cancer, heart disease, stroke etc.) increasing. Internal and international migration of health workers is also exacerbating regional imbalances.