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March 2018 – On Tuesday 27 February, 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the International Council of Nurses, launched the global Nursing Now campaign. Its patron, Britain's Duchess of Cambridge, attended the event in London, while other events took place in Geneva, Jordan, South Africa and the United States.
Nursing Now is a 3-year campaign which aims to raise the status and profile of nursing to improve health and enable nurses to maximize their contribution to universal health coverage. Nursing Now aims to ensure that by the end of 2020 the health workforce generally, and nursing and midwifery in particular, have a far more prominent role in global health policy development and planning. It aspires to promote greater investment in developing nursing and midwifery education, practice and regulation, as well as improving standards and quality of care, and employment conditions.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Her Royal Highness Princess Muna Al-Hussein, Patron for Nursing and Midwifery in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, attended the Geneva event and Elizabeth Iro, the WHO Chief Nursing Officer attended the event in London.
In his speech, the WHO Director-General noted, “Nurses are bridges with our communities and our families. They’re leaders and innovators … this launch will not be a one-day event, it will be a daily activity for me.”
Her Royal Highness Princess Muna highlighted the vital role of nurses in supporting the health sector. “We cannot make progress on universal coverage or the Sustainable Development Goals without motivated, competent health workers, we must capitalize on one of our best assets nurses … through equipping them to provide high quality patient-centred care and to play an integral role in leading the change in the health sector.”
Elizabeth Iro, said, “Nurses and midwives are already leaders in delivering care: the next step is to put them at the heart of health policy-making.”
Dr Jaouad Mahjour, acting WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, described nurses and midwives as “unsung heroes in responding to the health needs of communities affected by emergencies in our Region. Empowering nurses and enhancing their capacities will save lives and improve health and well-being at all times”.
Representatives from many countries around the world (Bahamas, Canada, Jordan, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) joined the events in London and Geneva via live broadcast and social media.
In the Eastern Mediterranean the Nursing Now campaign will be further promoted at an event in Jordan in May.
Related links
International Council of Nurses
