GENEVA - The World Health Organization warned on Friday of a gap in the medical ​workforce around the world in the 2030s, ‌with a quarter of doctors set to retire in the next decade.

"In many countries both our populations ​and health workers are ageing at ​the same time. This can intensify the ⁠projected global shortage of 11.1 million health workers ​by 2030," the WHO said in a statement ​accompanying a major report on workforce trends based on data from over 100 countries.

By 2030, 67 countries are ​projected to lack sufficient staffing to maintain ​the standards of medical treatment they currently enjoy, it ‌said.

To ⁠maintain the current density of medical staff to the population an additional 832,000 health workers are needed and this could increase reliance on ​foreign health ​care workers ⁠in poorer countries, the report said, potentially impacting healthcare standards there.

Higher income ​countries, including many in Europe, are ​set ⁠to be the hardest hit since they have a higher share of older healthcare workers, the ⁠report ​said. In these countries, one ​in three doctors will retire in the next ten years, ​it said. (Reuters)