Africa will need close to 49,000 family doctors by 2035
Africa will need close to 49,000 family doctors by 2035, Prof James Avoka Asamani told the 9th WONCA Africa Regional Conference in Gaborone, Botswana, in September.
Prof Asamani is Health Workforce Team Lead at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, covering 47 countries. His presentation, "Health Workforce for Integrated Primary Health Care", set out the state of the health workforce across the Region before turning to three questions about family medicine: who are family doctors, where are they, and how many does Africa need?
About 5,075 family doctors and family medicine practitioners are currently reported across 24 countries in the WHO African Region, roughly 21 per cent of what those countries require. Needs-based modelling puts the requirement at around 41,000 in 2026, rising to about 49,000 by 2035, or four family doctors per 100,000 people.
His argument was that family doctors belong at the centre of multidisciplinary primary health care teams and district service networks, and that closing the gap depends on recognising family medicine in national workforce information systems, aligning training with population health needs, and connecting that training to funded posts and clear career pathways.
The recording is published with Prof Asamani's permission. It was made from the floor of the conference hall, so the audio quality is limited in places. Subtitles are available on the Youtube video.
Youtube: Health Workforce for Integrated Primary Health Care
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