On International Nurses Day 2026, the International Nurses Day spotlighted the critical role of nurses and midwives in strengthening health systems worldwide. 

 

The World Health Organization Academy marked the occasion by underscoring both progress in the global nursing workforce and the deep inequalities that continue to threaten universal health coverage (UHC).

 

Fresh data from the State of the World’s Nursing 2025 report shows the global nursing workforce has expanded from 27.9 million in 2018 to 29.8 million in 2023. But the growth masks a persistent imbalance: approximately 78% of the world’s nurses are concentrated in countries that account for just 49% of the global population.

 

That disparity is now emerging as a central fault line in global health planning. Large parts of the world remain under-resourced, leaving millions without reliable access to essential care. Health experts warn that these gaps could slow or reverse progress toward UHC, weaken global health security, and stall broader health-related development goals.

 

“Addressing this gap requires more than investment alone. It calls for coordinated action, shared experiences and sustained collaboration across countries and institutions,” said Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu, WHO Chief Nursing Officer.

 

At the centre of that response is the Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres in Nursing and Midwifery. Designated by the WHO Director-General, these collaborating centres support WHO programmes at national, regional, and global levels while strengthening research, training, and health system capacity. Today, more than 800 collaborating centres across over 80 countries contribute to WHO’s work, including those within the nursing and midwifery network.

 

“The global network shows what is possible when we connect expertise across borders,” explained Dr Afuhaamango Tuipulotu. “By working together, we can strengthen education, learning, leadership and service delivery, and ensure nurses, midwives and future leaders are equipped to respond to evolving health needs in every community.”

 

The network itself spans 45 collaborating centres across all six WHO regions, operating as an independent, international platform for cooperation. Its work is structured around the four pillars of the Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery (SDNM): education, jobs, leadership, and service delivery.

 

In practice, that collaboration has already begun shaping regional responses. Following the release of the State of the World’s Nursing 2025 report, coordinated mobilisation across the network helped translate findings into policy action.

 

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development at the University of Technology Sydney—serving as Secretariat of the global network—led policy dialogues across 13 Pacific island nations, supporting governments to prioritise workforce challenges in line with SDNM goals. 

 

In the Caribbean, the Caribbean Community Regional Nursing Body worked with 17 countries to update regional strategies. In Europe, multiple collaborating centres jointly supported the development of a sub-regional SDNM framework for Central Asian states.

 

“Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do,” noted Professor Michele Rumsey, Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Technology Sydney. “By bringing together centres of excellence within and across regions, we are able to share knowledge, align our efforts and scale solutions to support nurses and midwives around the globe.”

 

That cooperative model is also evolving. The WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development recently launched the “Principles of Partnership framework”, blending Pacific knowledge systems with Western participatory action research methods. The approach is already being used to strengthen nursing and midwifery education across the Pacific region.

 

A major institutional shift is also reshaping global coordination. In 2026, the WHO Office of the Chief Nurse and the WHO Health Workforce department were moved to the WHO Academy in Lyon, France. The move positions the Academy as WHO’s global centre of excellence for learning and health workforce strengthening, linking data, policy, and practice across the full health and care workforce.

 

“For the WHO Academy, this growing ecosystem of collaboration with the global network is essential,” confirmed Dr Afuhaamango Tuipulotu. “By connecting learning, evidence and practice, the Academy can extend the reach of high-quality training and support continuous development to empower nurses and midwives to save lives.”