Planning the healthcare workforce the world will need by 2030
The World Health Organization estimates a global shortage of 11 million healthcare workers by 2030. Addressing it could generate US$1.1 trillion for the global economy, with the McKinsey Health Institute estimating that around $300 billion of that could come from healthcare worker jobs alone.
For the American Chamber of Health's members, the workforce crisis is the constraint shaping every other ambition. AI receptionists, virtual assistants, and automation can extend capacity, which is exactly why the Chamber built its AI Voice Receptionist initiative. But technology multiplies a workforce. It does not replace one. The retention and training strategies now being debated globally are directly relevant to American providers facing the same pressures at home.
Healthcare leaders addressing how to build a sustainable, high-quality healthcare workforce for the next decade point to a critical shift: from recruitment-led models to models balancing international talent with strong local pipelines.
Hein van Eck, CEO of Mediclinic Middle East, explained that healthcare systems risk losing critical expertise in specialized nursing, and that understanding why staff leave is the key to better retention.
Mohaymen Abdelghany, Group CEO and Executive Board Member of Fakeeh Health, emphasized distinguishing between controllable and uncontrollable attrition, and acting on what is within leaders' control. Structured retention strategies, alongside a step-change in local education and training capacity, form the foundation for long-term resilience. Hundreds of students and trainees already moving through local programs show how health systems are turning strategy into practice.
Jim Campbell, Director of Health Workforce at the World Health Organization, discussed how international recruitment patterns and education systems in exporting countries shape the future workforce. Linking education to employment, and making universities anchor institutions, can help countries build a balanced, sustainable model. He highlighted Africa and other fast-growing regions as key partners in a thoughtfully planned global workforce strategy. "There is a workforce strategy being developed currently [in the UAE]. It started last year. It is the first-ever federal strategy looking at a 10 to 15 year account. [The UAE] is the first country to actually, intentionally understand labor economics and markets. We have economic demand, but a limited supply currently. And, so, the intention looked at the opportunity to work with Africa and to work with the diaspora," he added.
Across the discussion, leaders converged on a clear message: future-proofing the healthcare workforce will depend on stronger domestic training pipelines, targeted retention strategies, and responsible international collaboration.
“It is not a problem for us to get skilled workers into the system, but it is a problem that we lose highly skilled unit managers who are very scarce to come by. We have to acknowledge the fact that they're not leaving for money. They are leaving to gain a passport for their family and for future generations.”
Adapted with permission and written with the American Chamber of Health's editorial lens.
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