A very good morning / afternoon to you all.
I am pleased to welcome you all to this regional meeting here in beautiful Bali. I am sorry I am not able to address you in person, but I am pleased to be able to share my thoughts with you nonetheless.
This gathering today reflects our collective commitment and our shared purpose: that the people in our South-East Asia region can live healthier lives by strengthening our healthcare systems, empowering our nursing and midwifery workforce, and advancing UHC alongside the SDGs.
Today, we stand at a critical juncture. As the global community rallies to address urgent health and social challenges, the role of nurses and midwives has never been more vital.
Nurses and midwives form the backbone of health systems worldwide, often delivering essential health services, especially in underserved areas. They are the first - and sometimes only - point of contact for countless communities. Their service and leadership is indispensable in promoting health equity, and access,
However, we must acknowledge that we are currently falling short in several key areas related to the SDGs. While our professions are at the forefront of healthcare delivery, our influence in policymaking often does not yet reflect our critical role.
This meeting aims to strengthen our commitment to invest in the capacity, training, and leadership potential of nurses and midwives.
Collectively, you will explore approaches that align with the 74th World Health Assembly’s resolution on the Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery. You will discuss pathways to scale-up our workforce, advance professional standards, and create supportive environments where nursing and midwifery can truly thrive.
These discussions will focus not only on the challenges we face, but also on the opportunities before us. From leveraging new technologies and partnerships to strengthening community-based primary health care, I am confident you will set a strong foundation for the way forward. I am pleased that this will include a critical examination of the transition to midwifery models of care - which have shown promise in improving maternal and child health outcomes.
As you engage in these discussions, I encourage each of you to share your thoughts candidly. Through your insights and contributions, we can advance our shared vision of a future where every person, regardless of their location or background, has access to quality health services.
Our goal is to draft the next regional midwifery strategy that not only addresses the immediate needs of our midwifery workforce, but also supports the transition to midwifery models of care.
This meeting will also help us prepare for the upcoming State of the World’s Nursing Report, to be released in 2025. The report will serve as a critical tool for policy dialogue, highlighting areas where we are falling short of the national and the Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery.
Thank you for your commitment and passion.
Together, let us drive the progress that our communities and countries deserve.
I hope you have productive and constructive deliberations ahead of you, and I look forward to being appraised of the outcomes.
Thank you.