Opinion published on The Official Newsletter of the Sri Lanka Medical Association
The international migration of health workers represents a critical challenge for global health governance amid a projected shortage of 10 million health workers by 2030. This deficit, shaped by demographic transitions, non-communicable disease burdens, and recurrent crises such as pandemics and climate emergencies, disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) while high-income countries (HICs) increasingly depend on international recruitment. South and Southeast Asia have emerged as major source regions, particularly for nurses and physicians, reflecting broader structural inequities in global health systems.
