#NursingNow global campaign launched in Durban for Africa
The #NursingNow global campaign was launched throughout the world on 27 February, which aims to profile and market the nursing profession and the challenges it is faced with. The campaign is held in collaboration with the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and World Health Organisation, and aims to tackle the 21st Century challenges in nursing with specific focus on how it is looking like today.
More than four continents joined the global launch on what was a special day for the profession. It is a three-year campaign, to culminate in 2020, the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of modern nursing.
For Africa, the launch was held at Balmoral Hotel in Durban where national nursing associations from the region, namely South Africa, Zambia, Mauritius, Uganda, Ethiopia and Namibia were represented by leaders of nursing the associations. The campaign launch in South Africa was led by ICN Vice President, Thembeka Gwagwa, who said the African continent is watching with keen interest and willingness to participate in it fully. She urged countries to up their socks so that they are able to provide regular feedback on how far the campaign is progressing in their countries. “You are not just a nurse, you are a nurse!” she said, encouraging all of them to tackle the challenges of shortages of staff, resources and support for nursing in their countries.
South Africa was represented By DENOSA President, Simon Hlungwani, and Acting General Secretary, Cassim Lekhoathi, as well as University of Zululand’s Nursing Faculty Head and nursing lecturers. The university preached collaboration within the health multisciplinary for speedy success of the campaign.
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