Africa CDC to host health workforce meeting in Abuja

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) will host health and finance ministers from across Africa in Abuja from 28 to 30 October. The goal is to speed up the recruitment, training, deployment, and retention of two million community health workers by 2030.

The meeting is organized with the Nigerian government and other partners. It will gather health and finance ministers, senior government officials, development partners, African Union institutions, and community health representatives. They will work together to improve Africa’s frontline health workforce.

A media advisory from Africa CDC on Wednesday said the discussions will focus on turning regional commitments into actions at the country level. They will look at sustainable financing, workforce development, standardization, and cost plans to improve community health services.

The meeting will be led by President Bola Tinubu, who is the African Union Champion for Human Resources for Health and the Community Health Delivery Partnership.

Health Workforce Crisis

This forum is happening at a crucial time for Africa’s health systems. They are dealing with serious workforce shortages while facing increasing health challenges from disease outbreaks and rising healthcare needs.

Africa CDC estimates that there were about 1.15 million community health workers in 2024. If urgent actions are not taken, the continent's overall health workforce shortage could reach 5.85 million by 2030.

This shortage is a big threat to expanding healthcare access, especially in underserved and remote areas. Community health workers often serve as the first point of contact for patients in these places.

Recent outbreaks of diseases like Ebola and Mpox have highlighted the need for well-trained health workers. They are essential for spotting health threats, educating communities, and responding to public health emergencies.

Community health workers also have important roles in disease monitoring, maternal and child health services, health education, early illness detection, and making referrals to health facilities. They help reach children who miss routine vaccinations.

Initiatives Launch

Africa CDC said the Abuja meeting will kick off the Continental Community Health Acceleration Plan and the Continental Community Health Programme Scorecard. Both will help guide and track progress in strengthening community health systems across member states.

The next round of the Continental Community Health Landscape Survey will also begin to check progress and find gaps in workforce development efforts.

Participants will work on creating costed national plans for community health workers for 2026 to 2030. They will discuss local financing, job creation, workforce deployment, and retention.

The forum will aim to set continental priorities for health workforce investment and accountability. This will help ensure that government commitments lead to real improvements in health service delivery.

On 30 October, there will be a high-level ministerial session to seek new political and financial commitments. This is to speed up the development of community health programs across Africa.

Africa CDC believes that strengthening the community health workforce can improve access to primary healthcare, boost maternal and child health outcomes, increase routine immunization coverage, and prepare for future disease outbreaks.

Nigeria’s Health Preparedness

The forum is also timely for Nigeria, as the country is stepping up efforts against Ebola after an imported case was confirmed in Abuja.

As reported by PREMIUM TIMES, the House of Representatives has called for the release of funds meant for health agencies. This is to improve the country’s readiness and response capacity.

Lawmakers have raised concerns about the preparedness of healthcare workers, shortages of infection control materials, and limited emergency response capacity. They highlight the need to invest in a strong health workforce.

The Abuja Forum is expected to focus on these issues as African countries seek practical ways to fill workforce gaps and strengthen health systems to handle future public health emergencies.