International Nurses’ Day is celebrated annually on 12 May in memory of the birth of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, but also to honor nurses as an invaluable resource, and raise awareness of the challenges they face.
Once again, we mark the event today in the context of the global COVID-19 health emergency, which has highlighted the depth of the nursing shortage around the world. This year’s theme, Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in Nursing and Respect Rights to Secure Global Health, could not be more appropriate.
Throughout the pandemic, nurses have made great sacrifices, acted courageously, and recommitted daily to tackle a global health threat that is unprecedented in modern times, serving as an indispensable pillar supporting African health care systems through some very challenging times.
In Mexico, Nurse’s Day is celebrated on January 6; however, around the world, the official day is May 12, where the work of their profession is recognized and even more so now that we have gone through a pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
