Globally, nurses make up nearly 60% of the health workforce (37% in Africa), and in many low-income settings, they deliver up to 90% of primary health care services. Africa continues to face one of the world’s largest health workforce shortages, with the World Health Organization projecting a shortage of more than 6 million health workers by 2030. At the same time, brain drain continues to place immense pressure on already stretched systems, with one in every ten doctors and nurses trained in Africa now working abroad,— with an estimated loss of up to $184,000 in investment for every health worker who migrates.
This is not just a workforce challenge. It is a financing and equity challenge.
This International Nurses Day, we asked nurses what they envision for the future of the nursing profession in the next decade. They spoke of Stronger, better-funded primary health care systems. A future where nurses and midwives are better supported, fairly compensated, continuously trained, digitally empowered, with strong career pathways to grow.
Today, we also celebrate the incredible work and leadership of the Nurse and Midwife Alliance (NMA), a fiscal sponsored partner of Financing Alliance for Health. We are proud to support their mission.
To every nurse and midwife. Thank you for showing up every single day for communities, families, and health systems. Your work keeps health systems alive. investing in nurses is investing in stronger, more resilient health systems.
Watch our latest video for International Nurses Day 2026
