ABSTRACT
The 2006 World Health Report defines health workers as all paid workers in health organisations or institutions whose primary intent is to improve health as well as those whose personal actions are primarily intended to improve health but who work for other types of organisations. Based on this definition, it is estimated that there were 59.2 million full-time paid health workers worldwide in 2005 (Table 12.1). 1 Global health workforce by density https://www.niso.org/standards/z39-96/ns/oasis-exchange/table">
WHO region
Total health workforce
Health services providers
Health management and support workers
Number
Density (per 1,000 population)
Number
Percentage of total health workforce
Number
Percentage of total health workforce
Africa
1,640,000
2.3
1,360,000
83
280,000
17
Eastern Mediterranean
2,100,000
4.0
1,580,000
75
520,000
25
South-East Asia
7,040,000
4.3
4,730,000
67
2,300,000
33
Western Pacific
10,070,000
5.8
7,810,000
78
2,260,000
23
Europe
16,630,000
18.9
11,540,000
69
5,090,000
31
Americas
21,740,000
24.8
12,460,000
57
9,280,000
43
World
59,220,000
9.3
39,470,000
67
19,750,000
33
Source: adapted from reference 1.