At least 14 countries of the 39 that make up the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) lack sufficient doctors, nurses and midwives to meet the health needs of its population, according to a report by the agency revealed on Wednesday.
The study The health force in the Americas: regional data and indicators He warns that, without immediate interventions, the Americas could face a deficit between 600,000 and 2 million health workers by 2030, which would compromise universal access to health in the region.
The researchers found that, despite the fact that the average of health workers —66.57 per 10,000 inhabitants – in the countries that make up the PAHO exceeds the threshold of 44.5 established by the World Health Organization (WHO), great inequalities are recorded in nations such as Haiti and Honduras, with averages of just 6.38 and 7.13 sanitary workers for every 10,000 settlers, respectively.
The low averages of Haiti and Honduras contrast with those of other PAHO members, such as Cuba and the United States, who almost quadruply the WHO goal. Nicaragua, meanwhile, does not reach half of the threshold established by that organism.
Bolivia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, Belize, Guatemala, Venezuela, Santa Lucía, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Peru and Surinam complete the list of countries that lack sufficient health personnel, according to the WHO standard.
Factors such as limited formative capacity, aging of workforce, migration – especially in the Caribbean – and unequal distribution extend the gap, the report points out.
Health personnel is “the backbone of our health systems; without them, it is simply not possible to talk about universal access or coverage,” said Jarbas Barbosa, director of the PAHO.
“This report provides us with specific data to guide investment in training, retention and decent working conditions, ensuring that health reaches everyone,” added the head of the agency.
The study examined the situation of health personnel from eight key occupations: medicine, nursing, levia, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, psychology and community work.
PAHO researchers concluded that, without strategic investments in training, regulation, working conditions and personnel distribution, it will not be possible to move towards “truly universal, equitable and resilient health systems.”
“The challenge is not only to have more health professionals, but to make sure that they are most needed and have the appropriate capabilities to respond to the demands of the population,” said Barbosa.