Cairo: The Arab League stressed on Sunday the importance of strengthening the role of nursing and midwifery to reduce the risk of health workers leaving the sector. In a statement, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Social Affairs Sector at the Arab League Ambassador Haifa Abu Ghazaleh announced that the Council of Arab Health Ministers had designated November 3 annually as Arab Nursing and Midwifery Day, following a resolution passed in 2021, featuring a unified slogan. According to Kuwait News Agency, Abu Ghazaleh highlighted the significance of Arab countries observing this day, offering gratitude and recognition to the nursing and midwifery teams for their essential contributions to improving health care services. The Council of Arab Health Ministers, during its 60th session last May, had also approved an award list to honor the best distinguished work in these professions across Arab nations, acknowledging their significant achievements. Furthermore, Abu Ghazaleh mentioned that the First Arab Conference on the Role of Arab Expatriate Health Professionals in Supporting Health Systems in Arab Countries, held last October, shed light on the growing migration of nursing and midwifery professionals within the Arab region. She stressed the need to address this trend and develop a "comprehensive vision" to motivate Arab professionals to enhance their performance and strengthen health systems. She also noted that the League's General Secretariat had formulated an indicative Arab strategy to advance the nursing and midwifery professions. This strategy, developed in collaboration with member health ministries, the UN Population Fund for Arab States, and WHO's Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, was approved by the Council of Arab Health Ministers in a meeting in Geneva on May 22, 2022. Abu Ghazaleh pointed out that the strategy outlines priorities, directions, and procedures serving as a roadmap for countries to develop their national executive plans to advance these professions. She emphasized the General Secretariat's commitment to supporting member states in enhancing their health services, organizing workshops in partnership with the UN Population Fund for Arab States and WHO to monitor the strategy's implementation.
