Message from Dr Bardan Jung Rana, WHO Representative to Bangladesh
On the occasion of International Nurses Day, I want to congratulate and thank all the nurses in Bangladesh and worldwide for being an indispensable component of our health systems. Nurses play a critical role in healthcare delivery and the promotion of patient-centred healthcare.During the course of this COVID-19 pandemic, nurses’ contribution has been and still is beyond words, as they tirelessly work to ensure health for all and continuing health services without disruption, leaving no one behind.
Aware of and grateful for their incredible contribution during this emergency response, the Seventythird World Health Assembly of WHO designated 2021 as the “International Year of the Health and Care Workers” to celebrate all the nurses and the healthcare professionals in the world.
The International Council of Nurses set this year’s theme as “Nurses: A Voice to Lead – a Vision for Future Healthcare”. It is a call to action for all of us, professionals, stakeholders and policy-makers to take concrete actions to support the professional growth and advancement of nurses, for the improvement of the entire healthcare system and the achievement of Universal Health Coverage.
In Bangladesh, the nurses’ status as recognized and respected professionals in society has significantly improved. The process started in 2011, with the Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s revolutionary act of promoting nurses to the Class-II position (Grade-10) at entry level in the government system. In 2016, the government has then established a new Directorate-General for the development of leadership skills and proper management of nursing and midwifery services in the country. Today, more than 42 000 nurses are employed in the country.
These are remarkable achievements, but there is still room for improvement.
Bangladesh is the only country in the South-East Asian Region where the number of nurses is almost half the number of registered medical doctors. There is also a significant shortage of teaching staff, with only 188 positions in the 72 nursing colleges and institutes in the public and private sectors.
On this occasion, WHO reiterates its commitment to supporting the nursing and midwifery sector in Bangladesh by closely working with the government to address the shortage of professional positions, assess the demand and the available supply of nurses in the labour market and update curriculums and the accreditation and information systems.
The Agenda 2030 gives us a timeframe, but we must act together even beyond the ten years still ahead of us. Universal Health Coverage can be achieved only by including and strengthening the nursing profession in our health systems and societies.
Nurses and healthcare workers have been and still are our frontline workers, our frontline heroes, and on this day, I thank them all and wish them success and prosperity.