04.09.2026 Ghana’s Health Workforce is Shrinking. These Midwives Are Feeling the Fallout. Midwives and nurses in Ghana share how the large-scale departure of health workers is impacting their day-to-day work, and why they’ve decided to stay. By Emma Schwartz Across Ghana, health workers are being asked to do more with less. More than 3,000 nurses and midwives are estimated to be leaving each year seeking better pay and working conditions abroad, part of a widening exodus that has been reshaping the country’s health system since COVID-19. The trend shows no signs of slowing. In a 2025 study , nearly 70% of surveyed Ghanian health workers said they intended to migrate within the next five years, including 85% of doctors, 72% of nurses, and 63% of midwives. The situation is especially alarming in the northern part of the country, where around 1 in 5 children are chronically malnourished and over half of primary health facilities already lack basic infrastructure and essential medical equipment.…