Forecast: By 2030 the World will have a Shortage of 10 Million Health Professionals

By 2030, the world will have a shortage of about 10 million specialists, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the creation of the World Health Organization.

"As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, we call on all countries to protect and invest in their health workforce," he said.

"There is no health without health workers," said the WHO director-general.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, approximately 50% of the staff has left the sector. Even before that happened, many had to work for too little pay and in dangerous conditions, Tedros Ghebreyesus said.

Also, although women make up almost 70% of health workers, they are less than a quarter of managers and are often subjected to workplace violence, he added.

The World Health Organization was founded on 7 April 1948, when the WHO Constitution came into force. Since then, according to Tedros Ghebreyesus, life expectancy worldwide has increased significantly, and maternal and child mortality have fallen sharply in recent decades. Great successes have also been achieved in the fight against malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.

However, there has been a dramatic increase in diabetes and obesity. The WHO Director-General also pointed out that almost 2 billion people worldwide are experiencing financial difficulties as they have to pay their medical expenses out of their own pocket.