A landmark health investment charter is set to be unveiled at the upcoming African Health Workforce Investment Forum in Windhoek, Namibia.
The primary objective of this initiative is to address the critical shortage of health workers in Africa, aiming to halve the shortage of 5.3 million health workers by 2030.
The forum, scheduled for May 6th to 8th, 2024, will convene policymakers from various sectors including health, education, labor, finance, and civil society financing partners. The goal is to mobilize funding, both domestically and from partners, to enhance and expand the workforce, with a specific focus on rural and primary healthcare settings.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, highlighted the urgent need to invest more strategically in the health workforce in Africa. The lack of investment in training, employment, and retention of health workers has resulted in significant migration rates within and outside the continent.
To address these challenges, there is a call for an increase in health-focused Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expenditure across the continent, with a significant portion allocated to health workforce investment. Despite a 13% improvement in efficiency from 2014 to 2019, African health systems still operate at only 77% efficiency, with technical inefficiencies contributing to problems such as ghost workers and absenteeism.
Investing in the health workforce not only benefits health outcomes but also has economic advantages, including increased life expectancy, job creation, and progress towards Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage. Research indicates that for every US$1 invested in health and health worker jobs, there could be a return of up to US$9.
The African Health Workforce Investment Forum will serve as a platform for stakeholders to assess progress in strengthening the health workforce over the past decade and strategize for the future.
Discussions will focus on budget allocation, ongoing costs, and enhancing investments, considering the current economic challenges and debt issues.
