Africa Targets 2 Million Community Health Workers by 2030
By News

African governments, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and their partners have renewed a commitment to build a workforce of two million community health workers (CHWs) by 2030. The pledge was the focus of a high-level forum held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 28 to 30 October 2026, hosted by Nigeria with Africa CDC and UNICEF. Speakers repeatedly warned that the target is at risk unless governments recognise, pay and fund these workers from their own budgets, a shift that could reshape thousands of jobs across the continent.

Where Africa stands

Estimates of the current workforce vary by source. Africa CDC’s advisory before the forum, reported by Premium Times and The Sun, said Africa had about 1.15 million CHWs in 2024 and projected an overall health workforce shortage of 5.85 million by 2030. ThisDay reported Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya as saying the continent had about 1.2 million trained CHWs for a population of roughly 1.53 billion, which he described as “grossly inadequate”. Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, speaking through a representative, put the number deployed as of May 2026 at 1.06 million.

According to ThisDay, Dr Salako also said that only 68% of African Union member states formally recognise CHWs, only half pay them through the government wage bill, and 85% rely on donors for half or more of their community health programmes. He noted that development assistance for health has fallen by 40% since 2021. Africa CDC’s investment case, cited in several reports, estimates that the target requires about USD 4.3 billion a year and returns around USD 19 for every dollar invested.

Commitments made in Abuja

The forum, titled “Fit-for-Purpose Health Workforce: Accelerating Africa’s Progress Towards Two Million Community Health Workers by 2030”, saw the launch of a continental acceleration plan for 2026 to 2030. Reports said tools including a Continental Community Health Programme Scorecard and a standardised continental curriculum for multi-skilled CHWs were being introduced to track progress and harmonise training. President Bola Tinubu was named the African Union champion for human resources for health and the Community Health Delivery Partnership.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Tinubu at the launch, called for CHWs to receive “legal recognition, reliable remuneration, adequate support and equitable deployment”, according to The Whistler. The same report said Nigeria estimates it will need about 315,000 CHWs by 2030 and plans to recruit 100,000 salaried CHWs by the end of 2028. ThisDay reported that Nigeria currently has around 93,000 CHWs deployed.

Dr Salako framed the challenge bluntly: “A workforce that is not recognised, paid or planned for is a workforce that cannot be retained.” Mieko Makai of Amref Health Africa told the forum that interviews with 155 CHWs in five countries found late payment to be the main reason workers wanted to leave, adding that keeping CHWs depends on whether this is “a job a young person can build life on”.

Why it matters for the sector

CHWs are often the first point of contact with the health system for rural and low-income households, delivering maternal and child health services, immunisation follow-up, malaria and HIV care, and disease surveillance. Their role in outbreak detection is especially relevant as the region responds to Ebola, which ThisDay reported had affected around 10,000 people across four countries.

For NGOs, the direction of travel is clear: governments are being asked to move CHWs from donor-funded projects onto public payrolls. That could bring more stable employment for workers but also change the role of NGOs, from directly employing CHWs to supporting governments with training, supervision, digital tools and quality assurance. Juliet Odogwu of Africa Frontline First said its catalytic fund had supported the professionalisation of more than 100,000 workers since 2023, with a target of 200,000 by 2028, while the IFRC pledged Red Cross support for training and deployment, according to ThisDay.

What this means for NGO job seekers

  • Community health programme management. Expanding and professionalising CHW programmes requires managers, supervisors and trainers, particularly people who understand national community health strategies.
  • Health financing and policy. With the emphasis on domestic resources and wage-bill reform, there is growing demand for health economists, budget advocates and policy advisers who can work with ministries of health and finance.
  • Digital health and data. Africa CDC has called for moving CHWs away from paper records. Skills in DHIS2, mobile data collection, CHW registries and performance dashboards are increasingly sought after.
  • Training and curriculum design. A standardised continental curriculum will need adaptation, delivery and assessment at country level.
  • Practical tip: if you have field experience as a CHW or supervisor, highlight measurable results (households reached, referrals, reporting completeness) and any digital tools you have used.

To find openings, browse current NGO vacancies, check NGO jobs in Nigeria or explore other markets through NGO jobs by country. Our career resources include guidance on tailoring applications for public health roles.

Sources