The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) issued the "200th birth anniversary — Florence Nightingale Year of the Nurse and the Midwife 2020 Definitive Stamp" on May 12.
The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) issued the "200th birth anniversary — Florence Nightingale Year of the Nurse and the Midwife 2020 Definitive Stamp" on May 12. An online release was organized in China on Weibo with the participation of the UN, UNICEF, WHO, UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNDP, UNFPA and UN Women.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife to recognize the critical contribution both professions make to global health. The year also marks the 200th birthday of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale (1820-1910).
Florence Nightingale laid the foundation for professional nursing by establishing the St. Thomas' Hospital in London and the Nightingale Training School for Nurses in 1860. Her efforts to reform healthcare greatly influenced the quality of care in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Nurses and midwives play a vital role in providing health services and are the largest professional group in the healthcare workforce, accounting for 50 percent of healthcare personnel globally. Nearly 70 percent of the health and social workforce are women.
Thanawat Amnajanan, the chief of UNPA says, "As the COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging the world, the stamp and online event provide an opportunity for us to come together and recognize the works of all healthcare workers."
The stamp's denomination is €1,35. It is illustrated by artist Martin Mörck and designed by Rorie Katz. The image is Florence Nightingale's portrait. The quote on the left in German reads "Live life when you have it. Life is a splendid gift – there is nothing small about it." On the right of the portrait is "United Nations" in German. The stamp can be used in the UN International City in Vienna for mailing letters and postcards all over the world.
(Source: China.org.cn)
