Worldwide nursing unity: building a powerhouse for change.

The advent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has reminded health care providers worldwide that disease and ill health recognize no borders, that we are vulnerable and that we must maintain constant vigilance in health all over the world. It has also stimulated some of the best international cooperation in medicine and nursing that I can remember, the lessons from which I hope we will apply in other areas. In our different countries, we celebrate the different cultural, political and economic systems, but I am not certain we should celebrate the difference in standards of health that exist in the world today. I believe that nursing has a duty to all humanity regardless of borders, legal systems and economic and political differences. However, I believe that there are danger signs in the international nursing environment at the moment.