Disease outbreaks may cost the world 17,500 health workers each year

Epidemics are deepening health worker shortages in the countries that can least afford them.

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Infectious disease outbreaks may account for the loss of about 17,500 health workers from the global workforce each year, with the greatest losses occurring in countries that can least afford to lose them, a new study suggests.

Health workers are unevenly distributed around the world, with some countries having far fewer per head of population than others. Many of the countries with the greatest shortages are also disproportionately affected by epidemics.