2023 Migration Roundtable Report

 

The global nursing workforce faces a critical shortage, particularly in high-income countries (HICs) like the US, UK, and Canada. While these countries grapple with aging populations, burnout, and limited training capacity, they simultaneously face a stark reality: nearly 89% of the global nursing shortage lies in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Ghana.

Ghana has made strides in increasing nurse training, but severe shortages persist. Despite boasting over 120,000 nurses, Ghana has only 3.6 nurses per 1,000 people compared to HICs. This disparity is exacerbated by the exodus of Ghanaian nurses, with an estimated 7,000 departing since 2022 alone. This phenomenon, often driven by poor working conditions and unethical recruitment practices, raises serious ethical concerns.

Paradoxically, Ghana also faces the challenge of “unemployed nurses.” With limited government employment opportunities and a dramatic shift towards a younger workforce, approximately 90,000 newly trained nurses are expected to be unemployed by the end of 2023. This underscores the need for comprehensive policies that address the ethical recruitment of nurses and the retention of existing talent.
Universities have a crucial role to play in this complex issue. By supporting data-driven decision-making, co-developing ethical recruitment policies, and researching the experiences of nurses, they can contribute significantly to a sustainable solution. The roundtable is aligned with the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Policy Institute, which seeks to ensure that nurses globally have a voice and to maximize the expertise of nurses beyond traditional roles and shape the future of the nursing workforce in Ghana and neighboring African countries. The roundtable is also aligned with the WHO Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery to “Increase the availability of health workers by sustainably creating nursing and midwifery jobs, effectively recruiting and retaining midwives and nurses, and ethically managing international mobility and migration.”

Thus, the roundtable convened by the Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance assembled local and global stakeholders with expertise in nursing, labor market analysis, healthcare workforce, nurse migration and health policy. The roundtable sought to co-create policy recommendations to ethically manage the migration of nurses and midwives from Ghana.

This report serves as a roadmap for managing nurse migration ethically and strengthening Ghana’s healthcare sector. It presents comprehensive data, highlights ethical considerations, and proposes a national system for effective management. The report also outlines a set of policy recommendations based on World Health Organization best practices, including:

• Transitioning to degree-level basic nursing education
• Investing in training infrastructure
• Establishing a dedicated office for migrant nurses and midwives
• Investing in specialist education
• Improving salaries and working conditions
• Developing bilateral agreements with receiving countries

Implementing these recommendations can create a win-win situation for Ghana, its nurses, and the global healthcare system. By ensuring ethical migration practices and prioritizing the well-being of its healthcare workforce, Ghana can build a robust and sustainable healthcare system for all.

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