Young people had to be pushed to join the nursing profession because in the future more carers would be needed and there would be fewer young people to choose from, according to Social Policy Minister John Dalli.

Malta has an ageing population due to a drop in the birth rate and an increasing life expectancy, so the nursing shortage Malta was experiencing would become even more acute in the future, he said.

Mr Dalli was speaking at a press conference called by the nurses' union to announce that Malta would host an international nursing conference in May 2011, the biggest meeting to be held on the island.

The International Council of Nurses Congress was expected to attract between 3,000 and 4,000 nurses from all over the world, presenting a logistical challenge that could only be overcome with the support of the government, the president of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, Paul Pace said. "This is so big sometimes it worries us," he admitted.

He said a Maltese delegation had just returned from a similar conference in South Africa where the event was promoted with great enthusiasm. In South Africa the delegation gave a preview of what participants could expect from the island, generating a lot of excitement and awareness about Malta. Mr Dalli said such events helped raise the profile of the nursing profession but also contributed to the important economic sector of conferences.

The 10-day event, which includes the three-day congress, was previously organised by Taiwan and Japan and after Malta it will be followed by ones in Australia and Brazil.

Mr Dalli said it was impressive that a tiny island like Malta was chosen for such an event and this was testimony to the fact that the island's greatest asset was its people. He promised that the government would give its full support to the initiative because it was good for business, tourism and nursing.

cperegin@timesofmalta.com