health 👩⚕️ Global health workforce growing, but gaps remain
A study covering 204 countries found women made up 71.4% of global health workforce growth between 1990 and 2023. Women constituted 68.9% of all health workers in 2023, with the workforce growing from 40.9m to 122.1m. Researchers estimated an additional 34.4m health professionals are needed for moderate universal health coverage. The shortage is highest in South Asia, which needs 2.6m doctors and 10m nurses and midwives. Closing these gaps requires investment and gender-responsive policies.