The Need to Invest in Nursing and Midwifery

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has forced the world to re-evaluate life. We have had to take stock of what is essential for daily life and what is not, but perhaps most of all it has taught us the importance and value of health. Every year on April 7, World Health Day is observed as part of a global campaign by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The main objective of this day is to highlight major health concerns in order to increase awareness and prevent more cases. Each year, a specific issue is chosen and the WHO has chosen 2020 as the year of the nurses and midwives to remind the world and its leaders of the critical role they play in keeping the world healthy. Nurses and other healthcare professionals are at the forefront of the Covid-19 fight, providing care and leading dialogue to address questions and fears of the public. A strong and coordinated response to coronavirus would not be possible without the aid of nurses.

World Health Organisation statistics show that though nurses and midwives account for approximately 50% of the global health workforce, there is a shortage in South East Asia and Africa. The WHO further argues that in order for all countries to reach Sustainable Development Goal 3 of Good Health and Well-being, the world will require an additional nine million nurses and midwives by 2030. In India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has outlined in its portal that in order to achieve the triple goal of improving healthcare, promoting gender equality and supporting economic growth, nursing and midwifery needs to be strengthened. It is crucial that professional, socio-cultural and economic barriers are overcome in India. Achieving health for all will be dependent on the numbers, education and training of nurses and midwives along with the support of appropriate regulation, rights and pay.

Covid-19 has impacted health security globally and severely, putting insurmountable pressure on existing systems even in the most advanced countries. It has added a cascading impact on other health problems and health promotion activities. At this point in time, nurses play a crucial role in providing health services, and often they are the first point of contact for patients even before meeting doctors. Midwives are still assisting women in childbirth and providing aftercare even in the midst of this epidemic. This World Health Day let us work together to ensure that nursing and midwifery workforces are robust enough to ensure that everyone in the world gets the health care they need. We must maximise the capacities and potentials of nurses and midwives and mobilise political will to invest in them. Never has three simple words ‘health for all’ meant so much in this modern world.