div class="content user-select-text" tabindex="0" aria-description="" aria-label="Sent by Copilot: **EU Allocates €1.3 Million to WHO Europe for Nurse Retention** The European Union has signed a €1.3 million agreement with the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO Europe) to help retain nurses and make the profession more attractive. Funded by the EU4Health programme, this 36-month initiative will focus on countries with significant nurse shortages. Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, highlighted the importance of nurses, stating, "Nurses are the backbone of our health systems and are critical in ensuring that patients receive high-quality, professional care when they need it." The funding will support recruitment action plans, mentoring programmes, workforce impact assessments, and training opportunities. These efforts aim to address structural shortages, improve nurse wellbeing, and leverage digital transformation in healthcare. The initiative will be tailored to national and sub-national needs through cooperation with Member States, nurses' organisations, and social partners. --- Would you like more details on any specific aspect of this initiative?" Spain's manufacturing sector continued to grow in August, although at a slower pace, with the HCOB Spain Manufacturing PMI registering 50.5, down from 51.0 in July. This marks the seventh consecutive month of growth, albeit the slowest in this sequence. New orders saw an uptick, including a rise in export business for the sixth month in a row. However, manufacturing output dipped slightly for the first time since January, and employment levels fell, marking the first decline since January, as companies chose not to replace departing staff. Business confidence dropped to an eight-month low, with concerns over weakening demand from European markets. The sector also faced challenges with supply chain disruptions, as lead times worsened for the fourteenth consecutive month, reaching the highest level since February. On the pricing front, input cost inflation persisted for the seventh month, although the rate of increase slowed to a four-month low. Output charges rose for the fourth consecutive month, but the rate of inflation was marginal, with some companies offering discounts to maintain sales. Despite the overall growth, the manufacturing sector faces challenges, particularly in the investment goods subsector, which saw a sharp decline into contraction territory due to uncertainty and cautious investment decisions. Attribution: S&P Global Subediting: M. S. Salama
