The World Health Organisation projects a global shortfall of 11 million health workers by 2030. Nursing shortages alone were estimated at 5.8 million in 2023. Against this backdrop, health and care workers worldwide are increasingly taking industrial action. The new report from PSIRU, launched in September 2026 at the PSIRU–PSI Online Conference, maps why.
Authored by Dr. Vera Weghmann and colleagues at PSIRU, the report draws on international datasets (ILOSTAT, Eurofound, OECD), desk-based research and interviews with trade union representatives across regions including Germany, Brazil, Nigeria, South Korea, Ireland, Sweden, Ghana, Zimbabwe, India and more. It identifies four recurring drivers behind the current wave of strikes and protests: unsafe staffing levels, pay erosion, deteriorating working conditions, and privatisation.
A central finding challenges the usual narrative: rather than acting against patients’ interests, health and care workers are frequently mobilising ‘to protect’ patient safety, as unsafe staffing has been linked directly to preventable harm. The report also highlights how the workforce crisis is deeply gendered: women make up around 70% of the global health and care workforce, yet remain concentrated in undervalued, lower-paid roles.
The analysis is complemented by a series of geographically diverse case studies, published as standalone briefing papers.
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