Nairobi, Oct 8: The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA) support tool to assist African nations in evaluating their health workforce needs. The tool, currently in Beta Version 3.0, integrates health workforce planning with labor market analysis, as reported by Xinhua.
This new tool builds on the WHO’s 2021 Health Labour Market Analysis Guidebook, which trained 75 experts from 25 African countries. The HLMA support tool aims to estimate the number of health workers needed in specific areas to address disease burdens, factoring in essential health services and professional care standards.
At the tool’s launch, WHO Representative in Kenya, Abdourahmane Diallo, warned that Africa could face a shortage of 6.1 million health workers by 2030. This shortfall would hinder efforts to manage the region’s disease burden and provide essential healthcare services. Diallo also highlighted that 27 percent of trained health workers are currently unemployed, reflecting a gap between training and job availability, and called for a 43 percent increase in health workforce funding.
The WHO plans to train 50 international experts on using the tool for epidemiology-based workforce assessments, with the goal of assisting member states in developing health workforce policies and investment plans.