Salute the Heart of Healthcare: Arab Nurses and Midwives
The Arab Board of Ministers of Health, which represents 22 Middle Eastern and North African countries, stated in 2021 that Arab Nurses and Midwives Day will be celebrated annually on November 3rd. The purpose of such a day is to highlight professional nurses and midwives’ substantial efforts and essential contributions to healthcare sectors throughout the Arab world. The day and the activities held within each country are meant to foster a sense of community and collaboration among nurses and midwives in all healthcare sectors.
Arab Nurses and Midwives – The Invisible Heroes
Imagine you’re in the hospital, unwell, immobile, and without nurses. Consider yourself in labor, delivering your first kid, with no midwife there. Assume your mother returns home after a fall, unable to move or live alone for the next few weeks. Imagine your grandfather’s dementia worsens, yet your family needs to go to work to pay for your flat and living expenses, and there is no day care nurse to care for him.
What would medicine be like without nurses and midwives?
Nurses and midwives are dedicated to providing high-quality patient care throughout the healthcare system, from primary to secondary care, in both public and private facilities. Many of the direct patient interactions in healthcare organizations are handled by efficient nurses and midwives. Whether they have come from abroad and brought their experience and expertise with them, or they have trained locally in an accredited educational institution, the combination of multicultural and multi-national teams, as well as their dedication and competence, make them extremely valuable to the health sectors and communities they serve.
Shortage of Arab Nurses and Midwives: A Growing Concern
Arab nurses and midwives account for over 50% of the health workforce in most countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. However, as is the case worldwide, they face challenging workplaces, low salaries, enormous workloads, and limited opportunities for careers. Nurses’ numbers have recently been decreasing year after year. If current trends continue, the Arab area may face a shortage of 1.2 million nurses by 2030.
“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,”
Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
How Arab Nurses Make Healthcare Better
Evidence demonstrates that by empowering nurses to manage health systems, policymakers and administrators can enhance treatment quality and health outcomes, while also lowering costs and increasing staff retention. Patients have reported feeling better educated about their care and have been demonstrated to be more willing to stick to it. Midwives can deliver 90% of sexual, reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and adolescent health care, and if present shortages are addressed, they might save an estimated 4.3 million lives per year by 2035.
Increased investments in nursing and midwifery will provide long-term economic advantages. The health and social care sector is one of the world’s largest and fastest expanding employment sectors, notably in low- and middle-income nations and among women. Nursing and midwifery offer lifelong jobs aiding in social and economic stability and progress while creating a healthier, fairer future for all.
Let us work together to empower and assist those who safeguard and care for us.
Upcoming Event: UAE International Midwifery Conference (UAEIMC 2024)
The inaugural event of the Midwifery Society of Emirates Nursing Association, the 1st UAE International Midwifery Conference (UAEIMC 2024), a two-day extensive CME accredited program scheduled to take place on 9-10 November 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, under the theme “Midwifery Practice: Fostering Conducive Environments for Improved SRMNAH Care.”
The theme concisely encapsulates the vision for the future of midwifery, encapsulating a holistic approach to enhancing healthcare outcomes in Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Adolescent Health (SRMNAH) through midwifery practices. The Midwifery Society of Emirates Nursing Association promotes excellence through education, collaboration, and advocacy, empowering midwives to deliver optimal maternal and new-born health outcomes. Join in celebrating and elevating the art and science of midwifery for healthier families and communities.
Oman’s International Nursing & Midwifery Congress 2024
The International Nursing and Midwifery Congress (INMC) 2024 is a prestigious global event dedicated to advancing the fields of nursing and midwifery.
Scheduled to take place from November 11-13 2024, in Muscat, Oman, this congress aims to bring together a diverse group of professionals, researchers, educators, and
