Women make up nearly 70 per cent of the global health workforce but remain concentrated in lower-paid professions with fewer opportunities for leadership, even as the sector needs an additional 34.4 million doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists and pharmacists to achieve moderate universal health coverage, a new Global Burden of Disease study has found.
Published on The Lancet medical journal website on August 18, 2026, the study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) found that South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa face some of the largest health workforce shortages. The findings highlight the need for stronger workforce planning, education, recruitment and retention, as well as policies that address gender inequalities in the health sector.
The IHME is an independent population health research organisation based at the University of Washington School of Medicine and works with collaborators worldwide to develop timely, relevant and scientifically valid evidence on global health.
Based on Global Burden of Disease 2023 estimates, the study provides the first global, sex-disaggregated estimates of 20 health worker cadres across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023.
The health worker groups covered include doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, dentists and community health workers, with the study also providing the first global estimates of community health workers.
According to the study, the global health workforce nearly tripled between 1990 and 2023, but major shortages remained.
The researchers found that women’s dominance in the health workforce had not translated into equal economic or professional advancement, as they remained concentrated in lower-paid occupations.
The study also found that women had fewer opportunities to progress into leadership positions despite their substantial contribution to healthcare delivery.
The findings are particularly significant for sub-Saharan Africa, which was identified among the regions facing the largest health workforce shortages globally.
According to the report, the shortage threatens efforts to expand healthcare access and achieve universal health coverage, particularly in countries with inadequate numbers and uneven distribution of trained professionals.
The study therefore called for stronger workforce planning, education, recruitment and retention, alongside investments that address gender inequalities within the sector.
It recommended gender-responsive policies, including leadership development, workplace protections, paid parental leave and flexible work arrangements, to support women throughout their health careers.
According to the study, closing global workforce gaps will require sustained investment in health worker education, recruitment, retention and supportive working conditions.
For sub-Saharan Africa, the study said such investments could increase the number of trained professionals while improving their distribution and retention in underserved communities.
The researchers also said workforce data could support targeted policies by showing where shortages exist and how health workers are distributed across countries and professional groups.
The projected requirement for 34.4 million additional health professionals, according to the study, underscores the scale of the challenge facing countries seeking to expand healthcare coverage.
The study said achieving universal health coverage would require governments to plan for both the number and composition of health workers needed to meet future demand.
It added that workforce density benchmarks could provide countries with a measurable basis for assessing whether their health systems have enough professionals to deliver essential services.
The study emphasised that building a well-supported health workforce is essential to expanding access to care and preparing health systems for future challenges.
For Africa, the findings reinforced the need for sustained investment in health worker education, recruitment, retention and leadership to strengthen health systems and improve access.
According to the report, the study provides policymakers with a broader evidence base for designing health workforce strategies and allocating resources.
It emphasised that expanding healthcare access would depend not only on increasing the number of health workers, but also on ensuring they are adequately supported and fairly treated.
