Nigeria to suffer shortage of doctors and nurses in 2030 - Minister
- Nigeria may suffer shortage of doctors and nurses in 2030
- The shortfall will likely make Nigeria healthcare system vulnerable
The Minster of Health has warned that Nigeria may likely face shortage in health workers by 2030, when it would need some 149,852 doctors and 471,353 nurses.
Professor Isaac Adewole made this statement during a speech marking the International Day of Midwives.
Adewole cited a 2016 scientific modelling projecting estimates of health workers.
At the current growth rate of doctors and nurses, by 2030, only 99,120 doctors and 333,494 nurses would be available, the projection shows, Daily Trust reveals.
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Minister of health warns of serious shortage to befall Nigeria in 2030
He said: “This implies a shortage of about 50,120 doctors and 137,859 nurses. This translates to 33.45% gap in doctors’ supply and 29.25% gap in nurses’ supply.
“This shortfall will make the country health system vulnerable if there is no urgent and concrete plan to address the situation.”
Against the World Health Organisation’s ratio of 2.3 health workers per 1,000 population, it is estimated Nigeria had a shortage of 40,000 health workers in 2006.
Adewole said recent figures suggest the shortage has more than tripled to 144,000, making it the seventh highest shortage among 57 countries facing critical shortage of workers.
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Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation on Monday confirmed a second Ebola case in Congo. “So far there are 19 suspect cases, including three deaths and two lab-confirmed cases,” a WHO spokesperson in Geneva said via e-mail.
The first case was confirmed on Friday, May 12 in Bas-Uele province in the north-east.
The WHO has said the outbreak appears to be limited to that remote area, and that there is no need for travel restrictions for the time being, the News Agency of Nigeria.
Watch this NAIJ.com video below of Nigerians talking about healthcare in Nigeria.