Veep Opoku-Agyemang calls for urgent reforms to retain Africa's health workforce

The Vice President of Ghana, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called for urgent and coordinated reforms to address Africa’s growing challenge of retaining trained health professionals, warning that the continent risks losing critical human capital despite heavy investments in training.

Speaking at the Second Africa Health Workforce Investment Forum held in Accra on May 6, 2026, the Vice President highlighted a key paradox confronting African health systems: the ability to train large numbers of health workers, but the inability to keep them within domestic healthcare structures.

Framing the issue as both simple and urgent, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang challenged policymakers and stakeholders to confront the root causes of the problem.

“What makes it so easy for us to use scarce resources to train, and what makes it so difficult for us to retain the people we have trained?” she asked.

She emphasised that retention must now be treated as a central development priority rather than a secondary policy concern.

According to the Vice President, Africa’s health workforce plays a crucial role beyond healthcare delivery, serving as a foundation for economic growth, human capital development, and national resilience.

She stressed that effective deployment, sustainable employment, and dignified working conditions must form the core of policy interventions aimed at strengthening the sector.

Health outcomes, she noted, are directly tied to productivity, economic stability, and even national security, making investment in human resources for health essential to long-term development goals, including those outlined in the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

While acknowledging significant progress across Africa over the past two decades—such as improved life expectancy and expanded access to healthcare services—the Vice President warned that these gains remain fragile.

Without a stable, motivated, and adequately supported workforce, she cautioned, many of these achievements could be reversed.

Her remarks come amid increasing concern over the migration of African health professionals to developed countries, a trend often referred to as “brain drain.” Better salaries, improved working conditions, and access to advanced facilities abroad continue to attract skilled personnel away from local health systems.

This trend, she noted, creates critical gaps in service delivery and places additional strain on already overstretched healthcare systems across the continent.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang urged stakeholders—including governments, development partners, and labour organisations—to focus on practical, sustainable solutions that go beyond training.

She called for policies that ensure:

• Competitive remuneration and improved working conditions
• Clear career progression pathways
• Adequate infrastructure and resources for healthcare delivery
• Stronger incentives to retain professionals within their home countries

  The forum brought together policymakers, health experts, development partners, and labour stakeholders from across Africa to explore strategies for strengthening the health workforce and improving service delivery.

  Discussions are expected to shape future policy directions aimed at building resilient health systems capable of meeting the continent’s growing healthcare demands.