IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

On 12 May 2020, the world observed International Nurses Day and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale under the theme ‘Nursing the World to Health’. Nightingale was the first person to turn the nursing profession into an organised sector with standardised roles and responsibilities. Nightingale is credited with founding the modern profession of nursing, being instrumental in mproving sanitation, hygiene and nutrition for the ill. The World Health Organization (WHO) designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife and the day highlights the importance of nurses in the healthcare sector. According to WHO, the Covid-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the vital role that nurses play. Without nurses and other health workers, we will not win the battle against pandemic outbreaks, and neither will we achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or universal health coverage. Nurses are always at the forefront of fighting epidemics and pandemics and playing the role of providing treatment and health care services. They are often the first and sometimes the only health care professionals that people see and the quality of their initial assessment, care and treatment is vital.

Download Mbalo Brief May2020