With the Caribbean region facing a critical shortage of approximately 600,000 health professionals by 2030, Dr Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health and Wellness, issued a strong call on Monday, September 29, for greater regional cooperation to address a growing healthcare workforce shortage that threatens to undermine health systems across Latin America and the Caribbean.

While speaking at the 62nd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) in Washington, DC, Tufton stressed that the looming deficit is especially acute in three key areas: medicine, nursing and midwifery, the very foundation of any robust healthcare system.

Tufton cited projections, warning that the region could face a shortfall of 600,000 healthcare professionals by 2030 if current trends persist.

“In the region, a critical pivot point to improve health services is filling the gaps that exist for healthcare workers,” he stated, delivering Jamaica’s official address to the council. “We have long had shortages of the registered and specialist nurses and midwives needed to manage service delivery, emergency response and heightened surveillance,” Tufton said.

Tufton also made note of a major challenge discussed at a recent CARICOM Health Ministers Meeting: small island nations losing personnel to migration even as they ramp up training to meet healthcare demands. Larger countries are increasingly recruiting Caribbean-trained professionals, draining the region of its experienced workforce.

“We are constrained by shortages in educators as our more experienced nurses are also being recruited by larger countries,” he said.

In responding to this challenge, he said that Jamaica is actively pursuing partnerships with countries facing similar challenges, emphasising South-South cooperation as a viable pathway forward.

“Jamaica believes that the deepening of South-South cooperation with sharing of resources, including technologies, provides new hope for meeting some of our hard-to-reach goals,” he said.

Tufton also called on PAHO members to facilitate regional partnerships. “Jamaica stands ready to support the advancement of the work undertaken by PAHO with respect to strengthening human resources for health. We need continued support in exploring new partnerships and expanding on existing ones.”

He also encouraged PAHO to explore targeted opportunities within subregions of the Americas that could foster mutually beneficial arrangements to combat the workforce shortage before it reaches critical mass.

Tufton specifically requested that PAHO examine opportunities within the subregions of the Americas to facilitate mutually beneficial relationships that can help address the workforce crisis before it reaches critical levels.

The 62nd Directing Council of PAHO brings together health ministers from across the Americas to address regional health priorities. This year’s theme, ‘Human Resources for Health’, reflects growing concern over workforce sustainability in the hemisphere.