As the world marks International Nurses Day 2025, the Acting World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, has issued a passionate appeal for urgent and sustained investments in Africa’s nursing workforce, warning that chronic underfunding, migration, and workforce shortages are undermining progress toward universal health coverage across the continent.
“Nurses are the foundation of our health systems – essential every day, and indispensable in times of crisis,” Dr. Ihekweazu said in a message commemorating the day.
With nurses making up nearly 70% of Africa’s health workforce, this year’s theme—“Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for Nurses Strengthens Health Systems and Economies”—serves as both celebration and call to action.
According to the State of the World’s Nursing Report 2025, while the global nursing workforce has grown to 29.8 million, nearly 80% serve only 49% of the world’s population. Africa has made strides, doubling its nursing numbers from 900,000 in 2018 to 1.7 million in 2023. Yet, the nurse-to-population ratio remains critically low at 14.1 per 100,000—far below global standards.
Dr. Ihekweazu pointed out that nurses account for 66% of the projected 6.1 million health worker shortfall in Africa by 2030. “This shortage limits access to essential services, from maternal and child health to chronic disease care,” he warned.
In addition to numbers, retention is a growing crisis. “While 43% of nurses are under the age of 35, many lack mentorship or career pathways. High-income countries continue to recruit nurses from lower-income settings, with 42% of nurses in our region expressing intent to emigrate,” he stated.
Financial constraints are compounding the crisis. The WHO notes that African countries face a 43% gap in health workforce financing, leaving nearly one in three health workers unemployed or underemployed—most of them nurses and midwives.
Despite these challenges, there are reasons for optimism. Dr. Ihekweazu highlighted the 2024 endorsement of the Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter by African leaders, setting a framework for data-driven, country-specific health workforce reforms. Zimbabwe’s Investment Compact, for instance, is projected to generate an additional $166 million annually to support its health workforce.
To truly address the crisis, Dr. Ihekweazu outlined five urgent recommendations from the 2025 report:
Expand nursing education, including digital and clinical training;
Strengthen regulation and introduce advanced practice roles;
Improve working conditions and mental health support;
Close the gender pay gap, currently at 7% despite women making up 85% of nurses;
Empower Government Chief Nursing Officers and promote leadership.
“Nurses are more than caregivers. They are educators, innovators and frontline responders, often working in the most remote and crisis-affected areas,” he said.
“As we mark this day, let us move beyond words to action. Let us commit to building a future in which nurses are trained, protected, respected and empowered to lead,” he concluded.
