The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, is today leading International Nurses Day to recognise the tireless efforts of nurses in providing compassionate care and promoting health and wellness worldwide. 'Nurses are usually the first primary care contact for the patients and are also responsible for recognising patients' symptoms, taking measures within their scope of practice to administer medications, providing other measures for symptom alleviation, and collaborating with other health professionals to optimise patients' comfort and families' understanding and adaptation,' said the department. International Nurses Day is celebrated annually on 12 May in memory of the birth of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, who was regarded as the foundational philosopher of modern nursing. This year's International Nurses Day will be celebrated under the, 'Our Nurses, Our Future', theme. READ | Salute to nurses! It will focus on the economic power of care, which serves as a clarion ca ll by the International Council of Nurses to countries to address global health challenges and improve global health for all. The Western Cape event is part of countrywide activities to honour nurses for the important role they play in saving millions of lives and raise awareness of the challenges they face. Dhlomo will be joined by Western Cape MEC for Health and Wellness, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo; United States Consular General for Cape Town Consulate, Todd Haskell; Acting US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) Country Coordinator, Saira Johnson-Qureshi; leaders of nursing trade unions, and representatives of key stakeholders. The event will culminate with the launch of the Nursing Leadership Initiative aimed at building leadership capacity among current and emerging nurse leaders in practice, education and training to empower them with leadership skills. The event, the department said, is a collaboration between the Department of Health and Pepfar. The initiative forms part of a plan to el evate the nursing profession within Pepfar-supported countries as part of a larger effort to strengthen the healthcare workforce globally and ensure HIV response gains are sustained. Source: South African Government News Agency