Why are so many Ghanaian nurses leaving the country?

Photograph of a Ghanaian caregiver transporting vaccines. (Photograph by Gavi/Tony Noel)

The United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and Canada are calling, and nurses from Ghana are answering enthusiastically. Offering improved working conditions, flexible work schedules, and higher pay, these nations have become magnets for the daily exodus of Ghanaian health care professionals.

This is the fifth of a six-part series.

Tina Agyapong served as a mental health nurse in the Eastern Region of Ghana for more than six years prior to her move to Ireland at the beginning of this year.

She had one semester remaining in her self-funded bachelor's degree program at the University of Cape Coast when she received IELTS scores that qualified her for nursing positions in Ireland.