The Country Representative for the World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr. Owen Kaluwa says WHO estimates indicate that the world will need about nine million more nurses and midwives by the year 2030 to augment the existing workforce.

He explained that despite the fact that the nursing and midwifery profession accounted for 50% of the global health workforce, there is still a significant deficit in the number of these professionals, particularly in Africa and South East Asia.

According to Dr. Owen Kaluwa, who was speaking at the 3rd Annual General Meeting, Matriculation and Swearing-In ceremony of the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region, Universal Health Coverage is a key priority in the health sector.

He added that the World Health Organisation is still galvanising member states to work towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Dr Kaluwa said in order to achieve this, countries need to have stronger health systems.

According to him, another challenge impeding the attainment of universal health coverage is insufficient high-quality nursing and midwifery education programmes and limited access to socially-acceptable and affordable information and communication technologies.

“Nursing and midwifery services must be strengthened by ensuring good educational standards and translating cutting-edge research into people-centered practice” he added.

According to him, the four main domains of effective universal health coverage; unavailability, accessibility acceptability and quality of healthcare service, have implications for research, education and evidence-based practice and must be considered when planning nursing and midwifery programmes.

Dr. Jemima Araba Dennis-Antwi, the outgoing President of the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives outlined the challenges they face as institutions in training some of the nurses and midwives.

She also appealed to government to give specialist medical practitioners the needed appreciation by placing them on the right scale on the universal salary structure adding that this would motivate them to work.

The Rector for the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives, Mrs. Hannah Akua Oparebea Acquah, also called for more individuals to pursue the nursing profession in order to augment the low numbers.

She again indicated that trainee nurses must allow themselves to be groomed in other to be good professionals on
the job.

“They must allow themselves to be groomed to be better nurses and midwives.”

She also encouraged nurses and midwives to give out their best in the discharge of their duties.

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