A report published on Monday by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, has warned that European health systems must address severe healthcare worker shortages that have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The OECD's Health at a Glance: Europe 2024 study calls for immediate measures to address staffing gaps, and for a boost to healthy-aging programs.

The report states: "The European health workforce faces a severe crisis. Twenty EU countries reported a shortage of doctors in 2022 and 2023, while 15 countries reported a shortage of nurses. Based on minimum staffing thresholds for universal health coverage, EU countries had an estimated shortage of approximately 1.2 million doctors, nurses, and midwives in 2022.

"The dual demographic challenges of an ageing population, which augments the demand for health services, and an ageing health workforce, which increases the need to replace current health workers as they retire, are key drivers of this shortfall."

The study noted that European countries have increasingly relied on recruiting foreign-trained health professionals. Following a temporary reduction during the first two years of the pandemic, the inflow of foreign-trained doctors in European countries increased by 17 percent in 2022 compared to 2019, while the inflow of foreign-trained nurses surged by 72 percent.

It noted that excessive dependence on this approach risks worsening workforce shortages and system vulnerabilities in source countries.

To address the healthcare workforce crisis, a combination of better pay and working conditions, increased training opportunities, and greater use of digital technologies and AI will be essential, said the report.

Europe's over-65 population will surge to 29 percent by 2050. Promoting healthy aging through prevention could significantly reduce healthcare demands and costs, because more than half of the years after 65 are likely to be impaired by preventable chronic conditions, it noted.

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