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Duchess speaks of heartfelt gratitude to nurses for their sacrifices in the pandemic

The royal was delivering video message to mark end of Nursing Now campaign
Duchess of Cambridge praised nurses in Nursing Now closing video

Duchess of Cambridge delivered video message to mark the end of the global Nursing Now campaign, which aimed to boost the status and influence of nurses and midwives worldwide

The Duchess of Cambridge in her closing message to the Nursing Now campaign

The Duchess of Cambridge praised the ‘huge sacrifices’ nurses made during the COVID-19 pandemic in a video message marking the end of the three-year Nursing Now campaign.

The duchess, who is patron of the global initiative to raise the status of nursing worldwide, said: ‘COVID-19 has highlighted the vital role that nurses provide, which we all rely on, and it’s made all the more extraordinary when we consider the huge sacrifices and personal demands that have been placed on all of you by the pandemic. My heartfelt thanks to you and your colleagues around the world for the incredible work you do every day.’

COVID-19: remembering the nursing staff who lost their lives

Appeal for investment in nurses worldwide

Nursing Now ended this week with a call to governments to invest in nursing as the backbone of healthcare systems.

Annette Kennedy, president of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), which has been a Nursing Now partner, said the campaign had energised the profession and changed public perceptions.

She said: ‘The campaign has demonstrated clearly to political leaders that nursing is the solution to affordable, accessible and high-quality healthcare. It is a profession the world simply cannot afford not to invest in.

‘Nursing Now groups have been working with ICN and World Health Organization (WHO) to develop the next global nursing and midwifery strategy, which will be adopted at this week’s World Health Assembly.’

UN sustainable development goals

The WHO estimates nurses and midwives represent almost half of worldwide healthcare workforce. However, it claims that for all nations to reach the United Nations’ sustainable development goal of health and well-being for all, there would need to an additional nine million nurses and midwives globally by 2030.


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