The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), has held a two-day National Policy Dialogue to address critical issues affecting Ghana’s health workforce.

At the event, the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akwandoh, highlighted findings from a recent Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA), which revealed a mixed outlook, noting both progress and persistent challenges within the sector.

According to the analysis, the density of public sector health workers rose significantly between 2013 and 2022, increasing from 16.56 to 41.92 per 10,000 population.

Despite this improvement, close to 40% of trained health professionals in the country remain unemployed.

The analysis also underscored a concerning rural-urban imbalance in health worker deployment.

Only 38% of health workers currently serve in rural areas, despite those areas housing over 40% of the country’s population.

Another pressing issue is the increasing rate of migration among health workers.

Between 2020 and 2022, the number of nurses seeking verification to work abroad surged by 232%.

In the first half of 2023 alone, over 5,000 nurses requested verification to leave the country.

“Our average health worker earns GH¢2,813 monthly, yet they believe GH¢3,000 should be the minimum acceptable wage,” the Minister stated.

“In contrast, health professionals abroad earn an average of nearly GH¢10,000 — more than three times the local salary.”

The policy dialogue is expected to inform strategic decisions that will address these disparities and strengthen Ghana’s health workforce, particularly in underserved communities.