The world needs nine million new midwives and nurses to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. This is what the World Health Organization (WHO) notes, which, on the occasion of the beginning of the decade 2020-2030, invites countries to increase investments to train these professionals essential for health.
'' Midwives and nurses are the backbone of all health systems: in 2020 we ask all countries to invest in obstetrics and nurses as part of their commitment to health for all, "said the director general of the World Organization. of health, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The United Nations agency also recalls that midwives and nurses dedicate their lives to caring for mothers and children, to saving lives, to caring for the elderly and, more generally, to Essential Healthcare Needs These professionals are often the first, if not the only, who are used in some communities.
Currently, there are 22 million nurses and two million midwives in the world, which represent half of the world's health workforce, according to WHO. However, the world needs an additional 18 million health workers - about half of whom are nurses and midwives - to achieve universal health coverage by the end of the decade, in line with the commitment made by world leaders at a meeting of United Nations in September 2019. Major areas of investment include hiring qualified nurses, placing midwives and nurses at the center of primary health care and the support they need in promoting health and preventing disease . The countries most in need of these professional figures are Southeast Asia and Africa.