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Table 3 Selected health labour market indicators in the four countries a in 2011

From: Health labour market policies in support of universal health coverage: a comprehensive analysis in four African countries

 

Cameroonh

Kenya

Sudan

Zambia

Stock and density indicators 2011

Density of health workers (per 1,000 population)

1.87

0.8

2.36

1.41

(total no. 38,207)

(total no. 31,060)

(total no. 77,280)

(total no. 18,397)

Density of physicians (per 1,000 population) b

0.1

0.1

0.6

0.2

(total no. 1,842)

(total no. 4,660)

(total no. 19,778)

(total 2,419)

Density of nurses and midwives (per 1,000 population) c

0.93

0.45

1.02

0.86

(total no. 18,954)

(total no. 18,749)

(total no. 33,193)

(total no. 11,193)

Distribution of health workers by category

4.8% physicians, 49.6% nurses, 45.6% others

15% physicians, 60.4% nurses and midwives, 24.6% others

25.6% physicians, 43% nurses and midwives, 31.4% others

13.2% physicians, 60.8% nurses and midwives, 26% others

Percentage over 40 years old

43 (nurses) 46 (physicians)

70 (nurses)

49 (all health workers)

56 (midwives)d

Percentage female (all health workers

56

60

52

61

Percentage of health workers employed in public sector e

66

33

62

79

Categories of health workers in informal economy

0.5% nurses, support staff and paramedical stafff

traditional medicine practitioners, traditional birth attendants

community health workers, village midwives

traditional birth attendants, traditional attendants

Migration

Data not available

51% physicians, 8.3% nurses [20]

60% physicians, 25% pharmacists

0.5% of nurses

Main destination countries

Data not available

USA, Australia, Namibia

Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Ireland

United Kingdom, Swaziland, Botswana

Geographical distribution (per 1,000 population)

Highest density 3.2 (Yaoundé) lowest density 0.7 (North province)

Highest density 1.81 (Central province) lowest density 0.84 (North Eastern province)

Highest density 3.2 (Northern state) lowest density 0.7 (South Darfur)

Highest density 1.66 (Lusaka (urban) and Copperbelt) lowest density 0.68 (Northern province (rural))

Shortage indicators

Needs-based shortage of health workers

55% overall; 65% physicians, 42% nurses

70% overall; 59% physicians, 57% nurses and midwives

57% physicians, 61% nurses and midwives

54% overall; 63% physicians, 50% nurses and midwives

Economic shortage of health workers (vacancy rate)

Data not available

39% physicians, 33% nurses and midwives

25% overall; 36% physicians, 21% nursesg

62% physicians, 53% nurses and midwives

Wage shortage h

Physicians’ wage 6.8 times average income per capita; nurses’ wage 3.8 times average income per capita

Physicians’ wage 44 times average income per capita; nurses’ wage 15 times average income per capita

Physicians’ wage 55% more than average income per capita; nurses’ wage same as average income per capita

Physicians’ wage 15 times average income per capita; nurses’ wage 7.5 times average income per capita

  1. Sources: refs [20–23].
  2. aData are for 2011 or the most recent year available. Countries are given in alphabetical order. Numbers in square brackets give the reference number of the source of the data.
  3. bThe term physician includes following health worker categories: doctors and medical assistants for Sudan; physicians, medical licentiates, and clinical officers for Zambia; medical officers for Cameroon; medical officers and registered clinical officers for Kenya.
  4. cThe term nurses and midwives includes following health worker categories: midwives and nurses for Sudan and Zambia; nurses for Cameroon (no cadre of midwives is listed in the available data); bachelor of science in nursing and registered community health nurses for Kenya. In Cameroon and Kenya, midwives are not listed as a separate cadre.
  5. dThis number refers to midwives older than 45 years.
  6. ePrivate includes both profit and non-profit.
  7. fThis number is likely to be an underestimate, as most informal workers were not included in the census.
  8. gCalculated from a health facility survey conducted in 2011 in six states: Blue Nile, Kassala, Khartoum, Northern Kordofan, Red Sea, Southern Kordofan.
  9. hNot adjusted for allowances and converted to US$ using the current exchange rate (Kenya: US$1 = 85.77 KES; Sudan: US$1 = 2.5 SDG.
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Human Resources for Health

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