Seven Chinese nurses have been awarded this year's Florence Nightingale Medal, making the total number of Chinese recipients to 97, the Red Cross Society of China said on Monday.

The honor is presented every two years to nurses who demonstrate courage and devotion to caring for people during conflict or disaster, or those who exemplify a pioneering spirit in the areas of public health or nursing education.

The list of awardees was published by the International Committee of Red Cross ahead of the International Nurses Day, which is observed on May 12 every year.

This year, a total of 35 nurses from 17 countries received the honor and China has the largest single number of recipients.

The seven Chinese recipients come from the municipalities of Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai, the provinces of Hubei, Gansu, Shaanxi, as well as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

They specialize in different fields, including HIV/AIDS, emergency care, cancer, and Red Cross work.