International days for nurses and midwives 2024
12 May 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Nurses and midwives make up more than half the health workforce in most countries of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Today, as we celebrate International Nurses Day 2024, we also reflect on the many challenges faced by nurses in the Region.
In the past decade, the density of nurses and midwives has not grown in most countries of the Region, and the ratio of nurses and midwives to doctors has decreased. These trends are likely to continue if current levels of production and employment capacities are maintained.
Nurses and midwives are confronted with challenging working conditions, low pay, heavy workloads and limited career opportunities. All of these factors help to drive the global and regional shortages of these health workers. Too often, female workforce also face gender discrimination and threats to their safety and security, including gender-based violence while on the job.
“Across the Region, on average, there are just 16.5 nurses and midwives for every 10 000 people, while the global average is 39.4 nurses and midwives per 10 000 population. In some countries, the figure falls to a single digit. If current trends continue, there will be a shortage of 1.2 million nurses across our Region by 2030. That would affect every country of the Region,” explained Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
WHO is committed to support effective action both at the country level
