Human Resources for Health (HRH) in Sub-Saharan Africa: Issues, Challenges and Possible Solutions

Abstract

Across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), shortage of health workers is persistent. That is, the region’s human resources for health are not enough. Across the SSA region, health systems are weak, and this affects both the structures and the agents of health care. Although several studies have shown that the human resource for health (HRH) challenge affects Africa mostly amongst other continents of the world, however, possible solutions lie within the SSA region itself. This paper examines human resources for health challenges in SSA with examples from Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa. These countries share similar human resources for health challenges with other countries in the region. The paper highlights existing social and structural determinants of health and how it affects the lives of Africans. It also argues using a resilient health system framework and the need for public-private partnerships for health as alternative to proffer useful solutions to the human resources for health challenges. The paper concludes that to address the human resource for health challenges in SSA, these alternative solutions can be used to strengthen the health systems of countries and improve health care delivery across the region.