World Health Day: A Good Time to Thank Frontliners

By Olive Marie First Posted: Apr 07, 2020 03:11 PM EDT

In celebrating the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife this 2020, the World Health Day is highlighting the nursing sector’s current status worldwide

(Photo: Twitter)

Today is World Health Day. Now is the best time to salute all the doctors, midwives, and nurses who have worked selflessly at the forefront to combat COVID-19. Indeed, this is the day that the whole world should celebrate the work of the health workers.

It is also the very day that we remind the leaders of the world of how critical the role of these professionals is in keeping all the people in the world healthy.

In this time of the pandemic, these people-the frontliners whom we also now consider the heroes of the present time, provide excellent quality, careful treatment, and compassionate care.

The health care professionals are currently leading community discussions to address questions and fears, and, in some circumstances, gathering data and information for clinical studies.

In other words, without them, especially the nurses, no response would ever be possible. Incidentally, in celebrating the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife this 2020, the World Health Day is highlighting the nursing sector's current status worldwide.

READ: 26 Health Workers in Mexico Infected, 1 Doctor Dead Due to COVID-19

Strengthening of the Nursing and Midwifery Workforce

The World Health Organization (WHO), together with its partners, is making a series of recommendations for the strengthening of the midwifery and nursing workforce.

This is going to be essential if all nations are achieving the targets associated with universal coverage of health, child and maternal health, viral and non-communicable illnesses, which include emergency readiness and response, mental health, the safety of the patient, and the delivery of unified, people-oriented care.

And, in line with this, WHO has called for the public's support on the World Health Day celebration to guarantee that all the people, anywhere in the world, get all the care they need health-wise.

Meanwhile, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and Nursing Now have both called on governments of the world to make this year "a landmark year in health" to fulfill the Universal Health Coverage's promise.

As this international celebration for nurses and midwives starts, the two organizations have urged the world leaders to make considerable investments in the sector to achieve a brighter future for health globally.

Celebrating the Nurses and Midwives' Contribution

WHO has labeled 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife to recognize their contributions, as well as the risks linked to shortages in nursing.

Additionally, the Nursing Now and the National Nursing associations have planned numerous events to mark 2020, also the same year to celebrate the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale, as well as the WHO State of the World's Nursing Report's first publication.

Notably, midwives and nurses are the keys to achieving the Universal Health Coverage goal of WHO as they portray a crucial role in promoting health, preventing disease, and delivering care in all settings.

However, WHO approximated that there would be a global shortage of roughly nine million midwives and nurses by 2030 unless a drastic action takes place now.