The Ministry of Health in partnership with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana, RENEF Foundation, and Ghana Health Service to re-launch the “YEAR OF THE NURSE AND MIDWIFE” 2020/2021.
Last year, the World Health Organization declared 2020 as the “YEAR OF THE NURSE AND MIDWIFE”. This was to celebrate the work of nurses and midwives, highlight the challenging conditions they often face and advocate for increased investments in the nursing and midwifery workforce. The same year also marked the bicentennial year (200th anniversary) of Florence Nightingale, who was born on 12 May 1820. Florence Nightingale was a nursing pioneer who campaigned for healthcare improvements, especially on infection control, and played a vital role during the Crimean War. She published ‘Notes on Nursing’ in 1859.
Last year the Ministry of Health could not roll out activities for the celebration of WHOs declaration owing to the vast disruption of economic and social activities by the covid-19 pandemic. The Ministry in partnership with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana, RENEF Foundation, and Ghana Health Service have set out the 19th of February 2021 to mark the event. The theme for Ghana is dubbed Investing in Nurses and Midwives Is the Panacea To Achieving Universal Health Coverage. The event will be relaunched in Kumasi at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Credit Union park at 8:00am.
The event will be crowned by series of activities throughout the year across the country including, blood donation and health screening exercises at Sunyani and Accra (Ridge Hospital) on 27th February 2021 and 6th March 2021, respectively. There will be other events like Nurse & Midwives Entrepreneurial day, National Nurses & Midwives Challenge (Quiz Competition), Dinner & Awards Night, International Nurses Day, and International Midwives day.