Addis Ababa, 14 February 2026 – African Union (AU) Ministers of Health and Finance, along with Heads of Delegation, have emphasized the urgent need for sustained investment in Africa’s health workforce. Leaders highlighted the goal of building a two-million-strong community health worker (CHW) workforce by 2030 as essential for strengthening Africa’s health security and sovereignty (AHSS) and accelerating progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Representing the AU Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership, Vice President of Nigeria, H.E. Kashim Shettima, stated: “Africa cannot achieve universal health coverage or protect its people from pandemics without investing in its health workforce. Sovereignty without standards is not sovereignty; it is exposure to risk.”
Africa carries over 25% of the global disease burden but faces a severe shortage of health workers. The World Health Organization projects a deficit of more than six million health workers by 2030, threatening progress in immunization, outbreak detection, primary health care, maternal and child health, chronic disease management, and access to preventive and curative services. Closing this gap is critical for improving health outcomes and achieving UHC across the continent.
Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, highlighted Nigeria’s commitment: “By 2027, we aim to deploy 100,000 salaried Community Health Workers nationwide, integrated within our state health systems. CHWs must be formally recognized, regulated, professionalized, and integrated into national health systems.”
According to Africa CDC’s Continental Health Workforce Investment Case, every US$1 invested in the health workforce can yield up to US$19 in economic returns, while failure to act could cost Africa an estimated US$1.4 trillion by 2030. The continent requires approximately US$4.3 billion annually to build a two-million-strong CHW workforce by 2030.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, emphasized: “Investing in Africa’s health workforce is not a cost, but a strategic investment in health security and economic resilience.”
Prof. Julio Rakotonirina, Director for Health and Humanitarian Affairs, added that the Commission is committed to strengthening the health workforce through collaboration with Member States and partners, guided by a Continental Framework and Acceleration Plan.
An Africa CDC–UNICEF survey shows that 1.042 million CHWs were deployed in 2024. However, CHW density remains at 7.5 per 10,000 population—well below the recommended benchmark of 25 per 10,000, which is necessary to achieve the UHC target of 70% by 2030. Only six countries fund over 80% of their CHW programs domestically, while just 16 countries offer structured career pathways.
Examples from Nigeria, Senegal, Ethiopia, and Malawi demonstrate that large-scale workforce expansion is achievable with political commitment, domestic financing, and effective partner alignment consistent with the Lusaka Agenda.
Leaders urged Member States to integrate health workforce investments into national budgets, protect frontline spending, strengthen coordination between health and finance ministries, and fully implement continental accountability mechanisms. Africa CDC and the Continental Coordination Mechanism for Community Health were directed to convene in Abuja before June 2026 to launch the Continental Acceleration Plan and replenish national acceleration plans for CHWs.
The meeting was convened by Africa CDC, the African Union Commission, and the Government of Nigeria.
