Health sector unions across West Africa have raised alarm over a worsening shortage of healthcare workers, urging governments to take urgent and coordinated action to address the crisis.
The call was made on Friday in Abuja during the 25th plenary session of the West African Health Sector Unions Network (WAHSUN), where union leaders warned that the shortage is already undermining healthcare delivery and could further restrict access to care across the region.
The meeting, themed “Strengthening Public Healthcare Delivery Systems in West Africa: Trade Union Strategies for Workforce Protection, Equity and Universal Health,” brought together labour leaders and key stakeholders to identify solutions. Participants attributed the crisis to poor remuneration, migration of health workers, insecurity, and chronic underinvestment in the health sector, stressing the need for immediate intervention.
Speaking at the session, WAHSUN Chairman, Dr. Kabiru Ado-Minjibir, said the region faces a severe workforce deficit at a time when disease burden continues to rise. He noted that a growing number of trained professionals are leaving their home countries in search of better opportunities abroad.
“We cannot sustain our health systems when a large number of trained professionals continue to leave in search of better conditions,” Ado-Minjibir said.
“Unless urgent steps are taken to bridge workforce gaps, the situation will worsen and compromise healthcare access for millions,” he added.
Ado-Minjibir, who also serves as President of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), highlighted a structural imbalance in global health resources. He noted that Africa accounts for approximately 10 per cent of the world’s population but bears nearly 25 per cent of the global disease burden, with only about four per cent of the global health workforce.
He identified mass migration, poor remuneration, and limited career progression as primary drivers of the crisis. He further noted that insecurity in parts of the region, particularly the Sahel, has exacerbated working conditions, exposing healthcare workers to heightened risks.
The WAHSUN chairman also expressed concern over the welfare of community health workers, many of whom, he said, remain unpaid and lack formal recognition despite their critical role in primary healthcare delivery. He added that more than 80 per cent of such workers in Africa do not receive formal salaries.
He criticised persistently low government expenditure on health, observing that many African countries have failed to meet the 15 per cent budgetary target set under the Abuja Declaration.
Ado-Minjibir called on governments to prioritise investment in the health sector, enforce labour agreements, and ensure adequate protection, motivation, and retention of healthcare workers. He also advocated stronger regional collaboration to address systemic challenges and improve health outcomes across West Africa.
He added that unions would continue to engage governments and advocate policies that promote fair wages, safe working conditions, and sustainable healthcare systems.
Also speaking, the Global Head of Health and Social Services at Public Services International (PSI), Mr. Baba Aye, underscored the importance of regional union networks in strengthening collaboration and advocacy among health workers.
Aye noted that WAHSUN was conceived in 2004 and formally inaugurated in 2007, describing it as the first of its kind within PSI’s regional structures. He added that the initiative has since inspired the establishment of similar networks in East and Southern Africa, as well as in the Americas.
According to him, PSI represents approximately 30 million workers worldwide, nearly half of whom are employed in the health sector, underscoring the sector’s centrality to human development.
He concluded that, despite its critical importance, public health systems globally—particularly in Africa—continue to grapple with underfunding, privatisation pressures, and persistent workforce shortages.
