Shortage of health workers is set to double, says WHO

The world could be short of nearly 13 million health workers by 2035 because of an ageing workforce, a shortage of trainees, and workers leaving for better paid jobs, says a report by the World Health Organization.1

It says that currently the world is short of 7.2 million doctors, nurses, and midwives but that this number will rise to 12.9 million by 2035 if the shortages are not tackled.

The report found that of 186 countries with available data 83 fell below the basic threshold of 22.8 skilled health professionals for …