WHO recognizes the vital role of nurses and midwives in keeping the world healthy. Comprising more than two-thirds of the health workforce in the South East Asia Region, nurses are critical in responding to health needs in all settings and across the lifespan. In the 2020 International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, the celebration of the World Health Day is an opportunity to highlight the work of nursing and midwifery around the world while celebrating this workforce as one of the most valuable resources of every country