International Nurses Day recognizes the invaluable role nurses play in providing exceptional healthcare. Their contributions are vital in helping the healthcare system recover from the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Innovative solutions are urgently needed to address the evolving healthcare needs and ensure a sustainable future for healthcare in Asia and the Pacific. Nurses provide most of the hands-on care in a healthcare system, making up almost half of the world’s healthcare workforce and delivering nearly 80% of care.
With the continuous surge in health challenges in the Asia and the Pacific area, the nursing profession is becoming increasingly important in meeting the evolving healthcare needs. However, the lack of investment in nursing education and training in many countries, as well as the discord between education planning and population demands, has resulted in persistent shortages and an overall decline in the status of the profession. This problem is compounded by the difficulties in deploying health workers to remote, rural, and underserved areas, which exacerbates disparities in access to healthcare.
According to the World Health Organization, the global health workforce may face a significant shortfall of up to 18 million health workers by 2030, which is a considerable setback in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The international recruitment of health workers, fueled by increasing global mobility, is addressing this deficit, which is compounding over-burdened and underinvested health systems.