The Labor Market for Health Workers in Africa

With 12 percent of the global population, Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for half of child deaths, more than 60 percent of maternal deaths, 85 percent of malaria cases and close to 67 percent of people living with HIV. Yet it has the lowest number of health workers in the world, significantly less than South Asia at comparable levels of economic development. This book uses the analytical tools of labor markets to examine the human resource crisis in health from an economic perspective. Africa’s labor markets are complex, with resources coming from governments, donors, the private sector, and households. Low supply and poor understanding of labor market dynamics are major impediments to improving health service delivery. Yet some countries have developed innovative solutions, developing new approaches to create a health workforce that can respond to the health challenges of Africa. As Africa is rising economically, this book provides invaluable lessons on how to build tomorrow’s African Health Systems.