According to the World Health Organization, the world needs 9 million more nurses and midwives by 2030 to achieve the health-related Global Sustainable Development Goals.
In her International Nurses’ Day 2022, WHO in Africa research, Dr Matshidiso Moeti identified a threshold of roughly 60 nurses and midwives per 10,000 people as a vital milestone for obtaining at least 70% of the Universal Health Service coverage index.
Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in Nursing and Respect Rights to Secure Global Health is the topic for 2022.
Moeti stated that most nations today have fewer than 20, with the number slipping much below that for several throughout the continent.
“According to the most recent estimates, our 47 Member States have 1.6 million nurses and midwives.”
“A total of 66 percent of nurses live in six countries: Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa.” Nigeria has the greatest proportion of nurses with 21 percent, followed by South Africa with 18 percent.”
“Nurses play an important role in primary health care delivery since they are sometimes the first and only health professional a patient sees.”
“They contribute to research, illness prevention, injury treatment, palliative care, and other activities.” They are the unsung heroes on the front lines of disease prevention and treatment.”
“It’s a well-known fact that investing in nurses and midwives is a smart investment.” According to the United Nations High Level Commission on Health, Employment, and Economic Growth, “investments in education and job creation in the health and social sectors provide a triple return in terms of improved health outcomes, global health security, and inclusive economic growth.”
“Emphasizing the genuine worth of our nurses and the critical role they play in influencing change has the potential to influence the future of health care in Africa.”
As WHO in Africa, we are assisting Member States in strengthening nursing and midwifery by implementing the Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery (SDNM) 2021-2025, as well as an interconnected set of policy priorities to guide nurses’ and midwives’ contributions to achieving Universal Health Coverage and other population health goals.”
“As part of our ongoing efforts to offer nurses a voice, WHO launched the Nursing and Midwifery Global Community of Practice virtual network, a venue for nurses and midwives all over the globe to engage with one another, WHO, and other key stakeholders.”
“On this International Nurses’ Day, I’d want to take this occasion to urge African countries to make the required investments to assist boost the attractiveness of the nursing profession.”
“This will need good equipment, improved working conditions, appropriate education, possibilities for upskilling, and job creation.”
“Nursing leadership must also be improved, with chief nursing and midwifery officers charged with driving the nursing agenda across education, employment, policy, and practice.”
Nurses may provide around 80% of primary health care, and the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly provided as a significant platform to emphasize how crucial nurses are to maintaining normal health care delivery while simultaneously reacting to a worldwide disaster.
The argument for investing in nurse education, jobs, and leadership is compelling, and it is time to take action.”
Moeti further stated that the globe is commemorating the incident today in the backdrop of the global COVID-19 health emergency, which has exposed the severity of the nursing shortage in Africa and throughout the world.
“Throughout the epidemic, nurses have made significant sacrifices, behaved courageously, and recommitted on a daily basis to combat a global health danger unparalleled in modern times, acting as a vital foundation sustaining African health care systems through some extremely difficult times.”
“We genuinely appreciate and applaud all nurses in the African Region, and we thank them for their unrelenting commitment to combating the COVID-19 epidemic.”
“The WHO African Region has long faced a serious shortage of nurses, which, if not resolved, poses a substantial danger to our progress toward Universal Health Coverage.”