South Asia has largest health workforce shortage in achieving universal health coverage: Study

South Asia has largest health workforce shortage in achieving universal health coverage: Study

New Delhi, Globally, about 34.4 million additional doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, and pharmacists are needed to achieve moderate universal health coverage, with the largest shortages in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, a global study published in The Lancet Public Health journal has estimated.

South Asia has largest health workforce shortage in achieving universal health coverage: Study

India has a ratio of about 73 health workers per 10,000 population 10.5 doctors per 10,000 population, 10.8 nurses per 10,000 population, 8.1 pharmacists and pharmaceutical assistants per 10,000 population and 1.2 midwifery personnel per 10,000 population.

Researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, US, estimated China to have a ratio of about 130 health workers per 10,000 population over 30 doctors per 10,000 population and about 45 nurses per 10,000 population.

The analysis also found that global health workforce nearly tripled between 1990 and 2023 from 40.9 million to 122.1 million workers with women accounting for more than 70 per cent of the growth and representing about 70 per cent of all health workers in 2023.

Less than half of doctors were women and most nurses , midwives and community health workers were female in 2023.

"However, this expansion has been uneven across regions and persistent shortfalls remain in doctors, nurses and midwives, dentists, and pharmacists relative to moderate UHC attainment," the authors wrote.

Shortages in health workforce were largest in south Asia, which was estimated to be short by 2.6 million doctors, 10.0 million nurses and midwives, 0.7 million dentists, and 0.3 million pharmacists.

"Using the thresholds for an 80 or higher UHC score, we estimated a shortage of 34.4 million HRH globally in 2023, including 7.1 million doctors, 23.9 million nurses and midwives, 1.8 million dentists, and 1.6 million pharmacists in 2023," the team said.

Lead author Megan Knight, researcher at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, said, "Women have transformed the global health workforce over the past three decades, but they continue to be concentrated in professions that generally offer lower pay and fewer opportunities for leadership."

"Building stronger health systems will require not only expanding the workforce, but also creating equitable opportunities for career advancement, leadership, and safe, supportive working environments," Knight said.

In 2023, India was found to be among the countries in the world, including Brazil, Thailand and Rwanda, with the highest density of community health workers 16.2 per 10,000 population.

Region-wise, the highest densities of community health workers were concentrated in south Asia , southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania , Latin America and the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa , the analysis found.

Fewer than one community health worker per 10,000 population were found in high-income countries.

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