Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, wherever you are.
Today is WHO’s birthday. It was on the 7th of April 1948 that WHO came into being.
It’s a day we mark every year as World Health Day.
Today and throughout 2020, we’re highlighting the vital role of nurses and midwives, as part of the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.
It may not seem that there are many reasons for celebration.
The world is in the grip of the most severe health crisis of our time.
The COVID-19 pandemic is reminding us of the vital role nurses and midwives play.
Every day, nurses are putting themselves at risk to alleviate suffering and save lives.
They’re reorganizing wards to open more beds for COVID-19 patients, while continuing to provide care for other patients with urgent health needs, including women in labour.
They’re taking stock of equipment and lending it across units.
They’re learning on the job with information that changes daily – even hourly.
And nurses are doing the unthinkable. Because critical COVID patients are isolated, the last human touch they may feel is that of a nurse’s hand.
The kindness of caring strangers has never been more important.
I hear stories about nurses video-calling family members late in the night, so they can say goodbye to a dying relative.
Because health workers are on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, they’re also among the most at risk.
More than 3 000 health workers have been infected, and many have paid the ultimate price.
When health workers are exposed or become sick, they have to go home and stay there for at least two weeks. Hospitals scramble to find replacements.
That’s why we must ensure that health workers have the medical masks and other personal protective equipment they need.
Meanwhile, babies are still being born. Midwives are still trying to provide care to make pregnancy and childbirth the safe and joyful experience it should be.
Midwives are doing their best to stay in touch with their clients by phone and screen. But not all women have phones. They worry for those they can’t reach.
Today is a day to celebrate nurses and midwives, to thank them for everything they do, and to commit ourselves to doing everything we can to support and protect them.
One of the lessons I hope the world learns from COVID-19 is that we must invest in nurses and midwives.
Today I’m proud to launch a new report by WHO, Nursing Now and the International Council of Nurses on the State of the World’s Nursing.
The report shows that 80 percent of the world’s nurses work in countries making up just half of the world’s population.
Although the number of nurses globally increased by 4.7 million between 2013 and 2018, the world is facing a global shortfall of 5.9 million nurses, especially in Africa, South East Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean and some parts of Latin America.
We’re calling on countries with shortages of nurses to increase the number of nurses they graduate by an average of 8 percent each year, and to implement measures to improve the employment and retention of nurses in the health system.
We are committed to working with all countries to ensure that nurses and midwives receive the training they need, the recognition they deserve, and decent conditions and salaries for their work.
To every nurse and midwife, I say thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
You have our deep admiration, respect and gratitude.