Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, director-general of the World Health Organization, proposed making 2020 "the year of the nurse and midwife," reports Nurse.org.
Dr. Ghebreyesus made the proposal during a January WHO meeting, saying nurses serve as a crucial bridge between community members and the complex healthcare system.
He also said the frontline providers will be a key factor in achieving universal healthcare coverage, which is a major priority for the WHO.
He concluded his speech by noting that 2020 will mark the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth, who is credited for founding modern nursing. "We need to celebrate people like her who have contributed greatly to humanity," Dr. Ghebreyesus said, according to Nurse.org.