The Faculty of Health’s World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development is the new Secretariat of the Global Network for WHO Collaborating Centres for Nursing and Midwifery.
The Global Network of World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centres is a community of nursing and midwifery leaders from 46 WHO Collaborating Centres across six regions of the world.
The focus of the network, which was founded in 1988 is to connect leaders in public health, nursing, and midwifery at local, regional, and global levels. The networks goal is to enhance the collaborative activities of Nursing and Midwifery Collaborating Centres around the world, and support WHO's efforts toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) (opens external site) and The WHO Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery (2021–2025) (opens external site).
It is with great honour, the Faculty of Health’s WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development has been elected from 2022-2026 as Secretariat of the Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Nursing and Midwifery (GNWHOCCNM) (opens external site).
The role of Secretariat was handed over from John Hopkins University at the 14th Biennial GNWHOCCNM Conference, June 14-16th 2022. John Hopkins University had held the position since 2018.
The conference brings together researchers, nurse leaders, practitioners and educators from the six WHO regions. Representing UTS was the Faculty of Health’s Dean, Professor Debra Anderson, Michele Rumsey, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development, Professor Angela Dawson, the Faculty of Health’s Associate Dean (Research), Professor Kathleen Baird, Midwifery Head of Discipline, and Tasnuva Tisha, Project Officer from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development.
Professor Kathleen Baird says, “There is lots of potential for collaboration with other WHO CC's in the area of maternal health.”
The network is proudly partnered with some of the leading public health organisations in the world including the World Health Organisation (opens external site), International Council of Nurses (ICN) (opens external site), International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) (opens external site), John Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynaecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO) (opens external site), Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (opens external site) and the African Forum for Research and Education in Health (opens external site).
These partnerships are crucial to the network’s goals, helping to provide a voice for nurses and midwives, and contributing to the WHO global and regional strategies.
The WHO’s strategic direction for nursing and midwifery aligns with the Secretariat term, and priority areas will include education, leadership, jobs and service delivery.
The WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development is proud to have been sworn in as Secretariat, and is eager to work with all collaborating centres and partners in the network over the next four years.
An official UTS launch will take place later in the year.