Risks

The risk of another Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak or a similar event, and the impact on the health system and the economy, remains a concern. Much of what we have done in the time since the SARS outbreak, and the subsequent activity around the risk of avian flu, has sought to mitigate these risks.

Another area of ongoing concern is the international health workforce shortage. The World Health Organization has estimated
that, worldwide, around 4.3 million additional health workers are needed.10 The potential for this shortage to worsen is real as emerging economies spend more on health care and our workforce becomes older and works fewer hours. Overall, the health workforce is very mobile and maintaining our comparative attractiveness will be important.

10 World Health Organization 2006 The World Health Report 2006 – Working Together for Health. Geneva: WHO.