International Nurses Day is an annual observance that celebrates nurses’ humanitarian efforts all over the world.

Official Date: May 12

This day sheds light on nurses’ contribution to communities’ well-being, in addition to their crucial role in saving people’s lives and improving their health.

 Key Focus Areas

• Show gratitude to nurses for their selflessness and the services they provide.
• Emphasize the need to invest in the nursing workforce to enhance the quality of health services globally.
• Respect nurses’ rights and work to improve their conditions all over the world.
• Promote the need to advance the future of nursing, especially in developing countries.

Top Facts

• Nurses and midwives represent more than half of the health workforce in the world.
• The world suffers from a scarcity of nurses, constituting 50% of the global health workforce shortage.
• According to the World Health Organization, South-East Asia and Africa have the largest needs-based shortages of nurses and midwives in the world.
• According to the same organization, the Eastern Mediterranean Region employs only 6 nurses per 10,000 population, ranging from less than 1 to 81 per 10,000 population.
• According to the World Health Organization, the world is in need of 9 million nurses and midwives in order to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030.