For Africa to achieve universal health coverage by 2030, it will require an additional 1.8 million health workers. 

However, it is projected that the continent will have a critical shortage of a health workforce of about 6.1 million by 2030. 

The statistics were revealed at the opening of the first Africa Health Workforce Investment Forum and the launch of the Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter in Windhoek. 

Africa has a shortage of 5.3 million health workers. 

This was revealed by the Communication Officer of the World Health Organisation's Africa Regional Office, Marie France Uwase, at a media briefing on the preparations for the upcoming First Africa Health Workforce Investment Forum next week.

The African region is said to have made modest progress in health workforce development and service coverage over the last two decades.

Statistics indicate that the number of health workers has increased from 1.5 million in 2005 to about 3.6 million in 2018. 

Healthworkers at the maternity wing at Rundu's Intermediary Hospital have shown off a premature-born baby who defied all odds and is now 1 and a half years old.

Baby Peligrine Triumph Ndara weighed 800 grammes, hardly the size of the hand of an adult person, when she was born on August 2, 2022.

Together with her mother, Lahia Mwira, and staff at the maternity wing at Rundu hospital, baby Peligrine Triumph Ndara's story is one of triumph over adversity.

Outgoing representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to Namibia, Dr. Charles Sagoe-Moses, has emphasised the ongoing need to further strengthen investments in skilled and community health workers.