Posted 27 February 2018 - 05:21
Posted 27 February 2018 - 05:21
Editorial
Let’s build an unstoppable alliance to ensure Nursing Now succeeds
The global campaign, led by the WHO and backed by the Duchess of Cambridge, begins its three-year quest to reduce non-communicable diseases, improve public health and deliver universal health coverage
If you think the shortage of nurses in the UK is bad, then consider this statistic: according to the World Health Organization (WHO), an additional nine million nurses and midwives will be needed worldwide to cope with demand by 2030.
Such is the scale of the challenge, a campaign to strengthen the perception of nursing globally has been launched this week.
WHO, the International Council of Nurses and the Burdett Trust – a nursing charity based in the UK – have joined forces to demonstrate that investment in nursing pays off in a multitude of ways.
The Nursing Now campaign has been inspired by a report published in 2016 by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health, which was co-chaired by former health minister Lord Crisp.
Triple impact
The group concluded that bolstering nurses and nursing around the world would have the triple impact of improving population health, reducing gender inequality by empowering women, and building stronger economies.
Nursing Now will run for three years, and received royal backing at the launch from the Duchess of Cambridge.
Such an endorsement will give the campaign a flying start, but the challenge will be to maintain momentum once initial enthusiasm wanes.
Let’s hope that nurses and the public can build an unstoppable alliance so that Nursing Now succeeds in its aims of reducing non-communicable diseases, improving public health and finally delivering universal health coverage for all.
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