The staffing situation in the care sector is tense. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that the gap between the number of nursing staff and demand worldwide is 5.8 million. The WHO forecast for the next five years sees a positive trend, but some issues remain a cause for concern.

By 2035, one in five nursing staff will have retired from their profession. However, the age structure in the nursing sector is not as unfavourable as demographic change in the United Kingdom would suggest. Worldwide, around 33 per cent of nursing staff are younger than 35 and the sector is dominated by women: 85 per cent of employees in the sector are women.

The gap between demand and the number of nursing staff will continue to close until 2030, shrinking to 4.1 million. This assumption is based on data collected by the WHO in 194 countries.

The problem is that the inequalities that characterise the global care landscape, i.e. the distribution of nursing staff by nation, cannot be ignored in this development. Around 80 per cent of nursing staff work in countries that account for 50 per cent of the world’s population. This means that there is a particularly high density of nursing staff in rich countries.

In order to realise the WHO’s favourable forecast, it is not only necessary to recruit new nursing staff, but also to retain well-trained nurses. According to the WHO, a key aspect of retaining skilled workers is supporting their mental health. As the organisation writes, 42 per cent of the 194 countries have measures and structures in place to provide mental health support for nursing staff.