WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The Pan American health Organisation (PAHO) has called on Caribbean governments to invest in nurses to improve their availability, distribution and roles.
The global body, in launching the “Strategic Directions for Nursing in the Region of the Americas,” noted that nursing staff represent the largest health workforce, accounting for more than 50 per cent of health workers.
“Despite this, however, the lack of nurses in most countries in the Region compromises the global goal of achieving health for all by 2030,” PAHO said.
PAHO director, Dr Carissa F Etienne, underscored that “in many parts of the world, nursing professionals are the first, and sometimes only, human resource in contact with patients.”
She added that “investing in nursing enables advancing towards access and universal health coverage, which will have a profound effect on global health and well-being.”
The report on strategic direction describes the current situation regarding nursing in the region.
It highlights that there is an important gap in the availability of and access to human resources for health, “of which nurses are an important part”.
