Across many regions of Ghana, clinics and wards remain understaffed and overburdened, even as trained nurses seek opportunities abroad, creating pressure on an already stretched healthcare system. Ghana has long been recognized for producing a well-trained nursing workforce that supports both its domestic healthcare system and international health services. In recent years, however, the migration of Ghanaian nurses to high-income countries has accelerated, drawing attention to workforce sustainability, health system capacity, and global inequities in healthcare labor distribution. This phenomenon reflects a complex interaction of professional opportunities, economic conditions, health system constraints, and international demand for nurses.
Nursing is one of the most structured and regulated health professions in Ghana. Training is overseen by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana (NMC), with nurses educated through diploma, degree, and postgraduate pathways. Public and private nursing training institutions operate across the country, producing thousands of graduates annually.
Ghanaian nurses are trained in a broad scope of practice that includes community health, maternal and child health, emergency care, and public health services. The profession plays a central role in primary healthcare delivery, particularly in rural and underserved regions where nurses often function as the main point of contact for patients.
Recent studies and workforce analyses indicate a sustained increase in nurse emigration from Ghana to high-income countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia. According to research published on PubMed Central, nurse migration from Ghana forms part of a broader trend affecting several low- and middle-income countries that train health workers who later join foreign health systems.
According to reports from the Ghana Registered Nurses’ and Midwives’ Association, over 6,000 Ghanaian nurses have relocated to foreign countries within a two-year period, and an additional 14,000 have applied for financial clearance with the intention to leave their posts. 3
Preprint data from medRxiv suggest that Ghana has experienced a significant outflow of registered nurses over the past decade, with migration rates rising sharply after the COVID-19 pandemic. These movements are often facilitated through international recruitment agencies, credential recognition pathways, and bilateral employment arrangements.
One of the most frequently documented drivers of nurse migration from Ghana is wage disparity. Nurses in high-income countries often earn several times more than their counterparts in Ghana, even at entry-level positions. Differences in purchasing power, housing affordability, and long-term financial security contribute significantly to migration decisions.
Studies report that Ghanaian nurses frequently cite high patient-to-nurse ratios, extended working hours, and limited access to medical supplies as workplace challenges. These conditions contrast sharply with staffing norms and infrastructural support available in destination countries.
Access to specialized training, postgraduate education, and structured career progression pathways is another major factor. High-income countries often offer clearer professional ladders, continuing education, and advanced practice roles that may be limited or competitive within Ghana’s public health system.
Global nursing shortages, particularly in aging societies, have increased recruitment from countries like Ghana. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), for example, has actively recruited nurses from Ghana to fill workforce gaps.
The Government of Ghana has implemented several measures aimed at managing nurse migration and supporting the domestic workforce. These include:
Expansion of training capacity to increase the number of nurses entering the workforce
Bonding policies requiring newly trained nurses to serve domestically for a specified period
Improved recruitment into public facilities, particularly at the district and regional levels
Engagement with international partners on ethical recruitment principles aligned with the WHO Global Code of Practice
Despite these steps, nurse vacancy rates remain high in rural districts where staffing challenges are most acute, raising questions about the effectiveness of current retention strategies.
Additionally, there have been discussions around salary adjustments, rural posting incentives, and housing allowances, though evidence on long-term retention outcomes remains mixed.
The migration of nurses has measurable implications for healthcare delivery in Ghana. Workforce studies indicate that nurse shortages are most pronounced in rural and underserved areas, where emigration compounds existing staffing challenges. Ghana’s nurse-to-population ratio stood at approximately 1.90 per 10,000 population in 2023, exceeding the WHO minimum threshold but masking inequitable distribution across regions. Reduced nurse availability can affect continuity of care, maternal and child health services, and emergency response capacity.
At the same time, remittances from nurses working abroad contribute to household income and the national economy, highlighting the dual economic and health system dimensions of migration.
The situation in Ghana reflects a broader global pattern described in international health workforce literature. High-income countries benefit from the training investments of lower-income nations, while source countries face challenges in maintaining adequate staffing levels. The World Health Organization has repeatedly emphasized the need for ethical recruitment, workforce planning, and international cooperation to address these imbalances.
If current migration trends continue unchecked, Ghana’s health system could face deeper gaps in clinical service provision, further straining care delivery for vulnerable populations and undermining progress toward universal health coverage.
Boniol, Mathieu, et al. “Health Workforce Migration in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.” International Journal of Health Policy and Management.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10170952/
Asamani, James A., et al. “Trends and Drivers of Nurse Migration From Ghana.” medRxiv (Preprint), 2025.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.10.25327355v1.full.pdf
Nurses and midwives demographic shift in Ghana—the policy implications of a looming crisis. Human Resources for Health 17 (2019). https://human-resources-health.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12960-019-0377-1
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