15 January 2020 - Nurses and midwives make up more than half of the health workforce. Evidence suggests that adequate numbers of well-educated nurses are particularly well suited to tackling the rise in communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and that they significantly contribute to reducing morbidity and mortality rates and to reducing adverse health events.

Progress in strengthening nursing workforce in the Region has been slow despite the continued global and regional efforts to address the challenges facing nursing and midwifery. In the past 10 years, the density of nurses and midwives has not changed in almost all countries, it decreased in 11 countries; and the ratio of nurses and midwives to doctors has decreased in nine countries in the same period. This trend is likely to continue if the current level of production capacities is maintained. Most countries of the region are struggling with underutilization of nurses, insufficient investment in recruiting, training and retention of nurses, the poor working conditions, and increased migration and brain drain.

Building on the current attention and emphasis on the importance of the health workforce as a key component of the health system to accelerate achieving universal health coverage, a call for action was adopted by the 66th session of the Regional Committee October 2019. The call for action urges Member States to:

• Develop and implement national strategies and action plans to strengthen the nursing and midwifery workforce.
• Enhance work environments to allow nurses to use their knowledge and skills productively through well-defined standards of nursing practice, appropriate remuneration, opportunities for career development and continuing professional development.
• Ensure routine health information systems collect data on the nursing and midwifery workforce, for strategic planning, policy development and management.
• Undertake labour market analysis, and develop strategies to attract and retain the workforce, including elevating the status and value afforded to nursing and midwifery professions.
• Strengthen the primary health care nursing workforce by defining and expanding nurses’ roles and scopes of practice to maximize the utilization of their capacities. 
• Reorient nursing and midwifery education and training, emphasizing primary care competencies, and develop accreditation systems to ensure the quality of education at all levels.
• Develop specific country-level activities to mark 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife.

Related links

Technical discussion paper: EM/RC66/4
Strengthening the nursing workforce to advance universal health coverage in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
English | Arabic | French 

Resolution: EM/RC66/R.3
Strengthening the nursing workforce to advance universal health coverage in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
English | Arabic | French

19 August 2019 – The Palestine Human Resources for Health Observatory was launched on 10 July 2019, in an effort to develop a comprehensive understanding of the health workforce in Palestine. The Observatory will function as a hub for data collection and analysis, enable the dissemination of national indicators on human resources for health, and serve as a coordination platform for health providers and policy-makers.

The Palestine National Institute of Public Health established the national Human Resources for Health Observatory, in collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Health, WHO, World Bank and Palestinian and Norwegian governments. The Observatory undertook the first-ever nationwide survey of all health facilities and their health workers in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), and Gaza Strip. For the first time, data from over 36 000 health workers practising throughout the country from governmental, private and nongovernmental organization health facilities has been compiled based on the national identification number of the health worker, helping to overcome data fragmentation and improve data quality.

An initial report "Mapping the Palestinian Health Workforce" was produced to present information derived from the Human Resources for Health Observatory that provides an in-depth analysis of the local health workforce, as well as gaps and recommendations to be addressed in order to provide policy-makers with evidence for decision-making.

Sustainable methods of connecting with stakeholders and partners to gather and report on national indicators ensures this information will be updated on an annual basis, allowing for proper monitoring of human resources for health, conducting advocacy for health workforce issues and coordinating and promoting research. This information will also provide policy-makers with evidence to develop the first national human resources for health strategy. Ultimately these efforts will help improve the quality and access to health care for all Palestinians. 

Related links

Human Resources for Health Observatory

Mapping the Palestinian Health Workforce [report]

In collaboration with WHO and International Council of Nurses, Nursing Now aims to raise the status and profile of nursing. WHO's Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (centre).

17 February 2019 – NursingNow is a 3-year global campaign (2018–2020), which aims to improve health by raising the profile and status of nursing worldwide. In collaboration with the World Health Organization and the International Council of Nurses, Nursing Now seeks to empower nurses to take their place at the heart of tackling 21st century health challenges and maximize their contribution to achieving universal health coverage.

Since its commencement in February 2018, regional, national and local supporter groups were formed in more than 60 countries around the world. Of these groups, 8 are from the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.

Nursing Now groups aims 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 in order to ensure that nursing and midwifery workforce have a more prominent role in health policy development and planning.

Related links

NursingNow

International Council of Nurses

10 February 2019 ‒ On 30 January 2019, during the 144th World Health Organization Executive Board (EB) meeting, WHO’s Director-General announced 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife”, celebrating nursing and midwifery around the world.  

Debra Thomas, a chief nursing and midwifery officer from Australia, chaired sessions of the EB as one of its vice presidents.  A number of Member States voiced support for the Year of the Nurse, and the Executive Board room burst into applause as it was announced.

In 2020, the World Health Day (7 April ) and the 73rd World Health Assembly  in May will likely feature nursing and midwifery themes. The first-ever State of the World’s Nursing report and the State of the World’s Midwifery 2020 report will both be launched in 2020.  

WHO’s State of the World’s Nursing report will describe how the nursing workforce will help deliver universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and highlight areas for policy development for the next 3 to 5 years. It will also provide a description of the nursing workforce in Member States, including the number and types of nurses, education, regulation, practice, leadership, and gender issues. 

The reports will inform national policy dialogue on strengthening nursing and midwifery and accelerating progress across the SDGs. The evidence base on the role of nurses and midwives can help drive the development of national workforces and unlock investment in nursing, midwifery and the gender equity agendas for generations. The State of the World’s Midwifery 2020 will report on the progress and future challenges to deliver effective coverage and quality midwifery services. This will be the third State of the World’s Midwifery report.

The Ninth Global Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers’ Forum and Eighth Triad Meeting in 2020 will focus on the reports and how Global Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers’ can leverage the findings for policy dialogue around nursing and midwifery at the 73rd WHA and at home.

Related links

Tweet from WHO's Director-General  

ICN’s intervention to the Executive Board

Statement from NursingNow  

Information of the world’s nursing and midwifery reports 2020