The essence of Arab Nurses and Midwives Day is that it represents an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the many skilled women and men who work in this noble profession. These individuals are committed to caring for their patients, and collectively they represent the healthcare sector that serves each respective population. 

The establishment of this day’s celebration is planned after the declaration of the Arab Board of Ministers of Health. Indeed, Arab Nurses and Midwives Day complements the International Nurses Day (IND) (on 12 May) and International Day of the Midwife (on 5 May). The International Council of Nurses’ (ICN) over-arching theme, “Nurses: A Voice to Lead”, calls for nurses’ visibility in bringing positive change and deterring forces that threatens global health.  As a leader, it is my responsibility to provide a platform so that these voices are heard and appreciated. 

Our nurses and midwives have a long and proud history in the Arab world and as are an integral part of the global health ecosystem. Since its inception, the roles of nurses and midwives have expanded far beyond providing care at the bedside and have been continuously moving its frontiers as we benefit from their contributions to research, education, and helping to build effective governance. Regardless of practice and influence, a nurse or a midwife belongs to a network of interdependent relationships; this effectively means that any action or improvement in one area undoubtedly results in a significant transformation of the greater health ecosystem. 

With this virtual conference, there is a recognition of the legacy of those pioneers who provided nursing and midwifery care over the past centuries as it connects to the modern day where well trained, licensed professionals use evidence-based best practices to provide care in this complex healthcare systems.

We are marking this special day slightly before the actual date of November 3rd.  One of the reasons is that our nurses are heavily involved in the plans for healthcare services provided during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ - it is an amazing opportunity and honor for us to host, for the first time such event in an Arab country. Certainly, this is a testament of the indispensable value and contribution of nursing and midwifery in supporting the country’s efforts to secure the health and wellbeing of all who will be here for this momentous occasion.

Another reason for this early celebration  is that each Arab nation will likely celebrate Arab Nurses Day internally on November 3rd - and I welcome everyone to send photos from their events so we can host these on the photo gallery on our Arab Nurses Day 2022 website.

I hope that you will all take the opportunity to learn from each other, build networks and help us to strengthen bonds among the 22 Arab nations to mark Arab Nurses and Midwives Day. With our collective voices as one Arab world, I am so excited to see how far we can be heard.