With high unemployment among healthcare professionals, an agreement between Malawi and Israel will see the Southern African nation send trained nurses and midwives to Israeli health institutions. The Malawian government says the bilateral deal, signed in April, will benefit healthcare workers by giving them a job, new skills and help them support their families through remittances. Several Malawian nurses, like Christina Jere, are excited about the prospect of working in Israel. "I would definitely go. I have been qualified for three years and I haven't even been called for an interview," Jere told DW. "Malawi is my home, but why would I stay in a country where I have spent so much on college fees without a job? Elizabeth Gondwe—another trained nurse—has similar aspirations. "I've stayed for a long time without being employed. I'm so excited because here in Malawi I was unable to help my family," Gondwe explained to DW, adding that she eventually envisions returning to Malawi with more skills and experience. Criticism of the Malawi-Israel healthcare workers' deal Not everyone is thrilled about the idea of sending skilled healthcare workers abroad. A similar deal agreed in 2023, in which Malawians went to work in Israel's agricultural sector, caused uproar amid reports of exploitation, poor working conditions, and Malawian workers being deported for breaching their work contracts. Critics also say Malawi's health system is under-resourced and cannot afford to lose trained personnel. Malawi's nurse-to-patient ratio is about one-third below that of the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended ratio of at least one nurse per 1,000 patients. While the deal has been seen as a win for the Malawian government, Malawian observers have also questioned the government's motives, seeing this as a political move, rather than taking the interests of Malawian citizens into account.