Belize Falls Below WHO Healthcare Staffing Target
Belize has fewer healthcare workers than the minimum recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Ministry of Health and Wellness hopes to address this shortage through a new five-year strategy.
The Belize Human Resources for Health Policy and Strategic Plan 2026-2030 comes as the country faces ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals, while also preparing for the eventual departure of the Cuban Medical Brigade, which is expected to place additional strain on the health system.
According to the ministry, Belize has 38.2 physicians, nurses and midwives for every 10,000 people, below the WHO’s recommended threshold of 44.5 needed to achieve universal health coverage. “We know that we have shortage of healthcare workers,” said Dr. Andre Chell, Director of Policy, Research and Planning at the Ministry of Health and Wellness. “These two documents try to address those challenges.”
The strategy outlines measures to improve workforce planning, expand training opportunities and develop a national retention strategy for healthcare workers. While the government has already begun implementing retention measures for nurses, Chell said the next step is extending those efforts across the entire health sector. “We now want to look at the other cadres of healthcare workers,” he said. “Both the policy and the strategic plan speak to actually developing a national retention strategy for all cadres of healthcare workers.”
Health Minister Kevin Bernard said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses in Belize’s healthcare workforce and highlighted the importance of investing in those on the frontlines.
“The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced something many of us already knew, but perhaps did not fully appreciate until our health system was tested,” Bernard said. He credited healthcare workers with helping the country navigate the crisis, saying they “worked long hours, adapted quickly to changing circumstances, and continued providing care under significant pressure.”
The policy was developed following consultations with healthcare workers and other stakeholders to identify the sector’s most pressing challenges.