Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39761292›Full record

ArticlePLOS global public health2025

Modelling the health labour market outlook in Kenya: Supply, needs and investment requirements for health workers, 2021-2035.

James Avoka Asamani, Brendan Kwesiga, Sunny C Okoroafor, Evalyne Chagina, Joel Gondi, Zeinab Gura, Francis Motiri, Nakato Jumba, Teresa Ogumbo, Nkatha Mutungi and 19 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLOS global public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

29 authors.

James Avoka AsamaniHealth Workforce Unit, Universal Health Coverage-Life Course, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0620-6010
Brendan KwesigaUNICEF Program Group-Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Sunny C OkoroaforHealth Workforce Unit, Universal Health Coverage-Life Course, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4690-485X
Evalyne ChaginaWorld Health Organization, Kenya Country Office, Nairobi, Kenya.
Joel GondiMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Zeinab GuraMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Francis MotiriMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Nakato JumbaMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Teresa OgumboMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Nkatha MutungiMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9612-8227
Stephen MulesheMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Yusuf SurawMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Hanah GitungoMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Kiogora GatimbuMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Mutile WanyeeMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Amos OyokoMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Angela NyakundiMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Stephen KaboroMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Mary Wanjiru NjoguMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Maureen MonyonchoMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9634-6270
Njoroge NyoikeKenya Bureau of Statistics, Nairobi, Kenya.
Wesley Ogera OogaMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Juliet Nabyonga-OremCentre for Health Professions Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1061-8678
Julius KorirUniversity of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Paul MarsdenHealth Workforce Department, World Health Organization Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland.
Mona Almudhwahi AhmedWorld Health Organization, Kenya Country Office, Nairobi, Kenya.
Julius OgatoMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.
Pascal ZurnHealth Workforce Department, World Health Organization Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland.
Annah WamaeMinistry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya.

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Kenya is committed to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) within its devolved health system in which significant investments have been made in health infrastructure, workforce development, and service delivery. Despite these efforts, the country faces considerable health workforce challenges. To address these, the Ministry of Health undertook a comprehensive Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA) in 2022 to generate evidence supporting the development of responsive health workforce policies. This paper presents findings of a modelling exercise to understand the health labour market outlook. As part of a comprehensive HLMA, a validated needs-based health workforce modelling framework was applied to project the supply, needs, and investment requirements. Data was triangulated from multiple sources through desk reviews and group modelling by an expert technical working group constituted to undertake the study. The analysis considered disease burden, population growth, service delivery models, and health worker productivity, to assess the future health workforce needed. Kenya's health workforce is growing, with approximately 7,650 new workers added annually, resulting in an estimated 3.4% annual growth. By 2025, the health workforce is projected to reach 226,434, increasing to 263,700 by 2030. However, Kenya required a minimum of 254,220 health workers in 2021 to make substantial progress toward UHC. The cumulative need could rise to 476,278 by 2035. In 2021, Kenya had a needs-based shortage of nearly 60,000 health professionals, which could increase to 114,352 by 2030. The financial space for health workforce was estimated at US$2.29 billion in 2021 and is projected to rise to US$3.58 billion by 2030, but the required wage bill potentially reaching US$3.9 billion. Kenya must significantly increase investments in its health workforce to meet UHC goals. Both public and private sectors need to contribute more, with the public sector requiring a health workforce budget increase of 10.5% annually to bridge the projected funding gap.

Identifiers

PMID39761292
PMCPMC11703116

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.