Nurses and midwives play a vital role in providing health services. These are the people who devote their lives to caring for mothers and children; giving lifesaving immunizations and health advice; looking after older people and generally meeting everyday essential health needs. They are often, the first and only point of care in their communities. The world needs 9 million more nurses and midwives if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.
That’s why the World Health Assembly has designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.
Join WHO and partners including, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), International Council of Nurses (ICN), Nursing Now and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in a year-long effort to celebrate the work of nurses and midwives, highlight the challenging conditions they often face, and advocate for increased investments in the nursing and midwifery workforce.
Videos
Message from Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO on International Nurses Day
International Nurses Day
Message from Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO on International Day of the Midwife
Latest campaign updates
Featured publication | 6 April 2020
State of the World’s Nursing Report - 2020
The State of the world’s nursing 2020 report provides the latest, most up-to-date evidence on and policy options for the global nursing workforce.
Join us in celebrating nurses and midwives!
Stories from nurses and midwives across the world
Facts and figures
Nurses and midwives provide a broad range of essential health services close to the community and in all levels of health facility.
The world needs 18 million more health workers to achieve and sustain universal health coverage by 2030. Approximately half of that shortfall – 9 million health workers – are nurses and midwives.
Globally, 70% of the health and social workforce are women. Nurses and midwives represent a large portion of this.
Midwifery, where care includes proven interventions for maternal and newborn health as well as for family planning could avert over 80% of all maternal deaths, stillbirths and neonatal deaths.
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