• International Nurses Day, celebrated annually on May 12, honors the invaluable contributions of nurses worldwide. This date also commemorates the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, born in 1820.

Africa is grappling with a shortage of nurses, despite the global nursing workforce approximating 29 million. It is also projected that by 2030, the global shortage will amount to 4.5 billion. This is according to the State of the World’s Nursing 2025 report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 12, 2025.

The gap in nursing staff is not unique to Africa; it also affects regions like South East Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean.

The WHO report warns that this shortage will severely undermine service delivery capacity and impede progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC). While many countries have established laws to protect nurses in their work environments, few address mental well-being, posing a threat to workforce sustainability.

International Nurses Day, celebrated annually on May 12, honors the invaluable contributions of nurses worldwide. This date also commemorates the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, born in 1820.

This year's theme, "Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for nurses strengthens economies," emphasizes the critical role nurses play in healthcare systems.

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The International Council of Nurses (ICN) coordinates events to raise awareness, providing resources, messages, and themes for the day. Celebrations include events in hospitals and clinics, recognition of nurse heroes, discussions on improving working conditions, and educational programs about nursing's societal role.

Nurses are essential to the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Often the first and last point of contact for patients, they provide care, comfort, and support throughout life, from birth to end-of-life care.

However, the WHO highlights a concerning trend: “Globally, one nurse in seven and nearly a quarter in high-income countries are foreign-born,” underscoring the reliance on international migration to maintain healthcare systems.

This dependency reveals how richer nations often rely on nurses from other parts of the world to care for their populations.