Doctors in the World

Healthcare Providers in the World

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Healthcare providers worldwide form a crucial part of the global health infrastructure, delivering medical services and care to populations across diverse geographic, economic, and social contexts. The landscape of healthcare provision is complex and dynamic, shaped by various factors including demographic shifts, technological advancements, policy changes, and global health challenges.

Statistics

In 2019, the world had 12.8 million physicians, out of 104 million health workers. The WHO estimates that there is a global shortage of 4.3 million physicians, nurses, and other health professionals. As of 2020, the average number of doctors per 1,000 people in 27 countries was 3.56. Austria has the highest number of doctors per 1,000 people, with 5.35.

General Doctors

Primary Care Doctors (USA)

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• Family doctors - adults and children
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Specialists

• Addiction medicine doctors
• Advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologists
• Allergy/immunology doctors
• Anesthesiologists
• Cardiac electrophysiologists
• Cardiologists
• Dermatologists
• Diagnostic radiologists
• Emergency medicine doctors
• Endocrinologists
• Gastroenterologists more...

Regional Workforce Challenges

Different regions face unique challenges in their healthcare workforce. For instance:

In Australia, a shortage of more than 10,600 general practitioners is expected by 2031-2032. Europe is experiencing a critical shortage of registered nurses, described as a potential crisis for health systems. South Korea has seen physician shortages leading to reduced hospital service hours. In 83 countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania, there is a failure to meet basic standards of skilled health professionals per capita​​.

Global Strategy and Workforce Statistics

According to the WHO, the SDGs recognize UHC as essential for achieving health targets. The Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030 aims to ensure equitable access to health workers within strengthened health systems. The Global Health Workforce Statistics database, developed by WHO and its partners, consolidates core data on health workers to support policy and planning. However, variability exists in data coverage, quality, and completeness due to diverse sources like National Census, Labour Force Surveys, and other administrative sources.