Kolkata: Nurses play a critical role in health promotion, disease prevention and delivering primary and community care.They provide care in emergency settings and will be key to the achievement of universal health coverage.Nurses are often the first and sometimes the only health professional that people see and the quality of their initial assessment, care and treatment is vital. They are also part of their local community – sharing its culture, strengths and vulnerabilities – and can shape and deliver effective interventions to meet the needs of patients, families and communities.
There is a global shortage of health workers, in particular nurses and midwives, who represent more than 50 per cent of the current shortage in health workers.The largest needs-based shortages of nurses and midwives are in South East Asia and Africa.For all countries to reach Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health and well-being, WHO estimates that the world will need an additional 9 million nurses and midwives by the year 2030.
Investing in nurses and midwives is good value for money. The report of the UN High Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth concluded that investments in education and job creation in the health and social sectors result in a triple return of improved health outcomes, global health security, and inclusive economic growth.Globally, 70 per cent of the health and social workforce are women compared to 41 per cent in all employment sectors. Nursing and midwifery occupations represent a significant share of the female workforce.
Over the years, resolutions on nursing and midwifery adopted by the WHO World Health Assembly have helped to provide a strong foundation for strengthening nursing and midwifery services.The most recent resolution, WHA 64.7, gives WHO the mandate to develop and strengthen strategies such as: capacity of nursing and midwifery workforce through the provision of support to Member States on developing targets, action plans and forging strong interdisciplinary health teams as well as strengthening the dataset on nursing and midwifery.The mandates have been operationalised through the various strategic directions of strengthening nursing and midwifery.(UNI)