GNWHOCCNM Side Meeting at Global Partners Meeting Geneva

The Global Partners Meeting (GPM) on Nursing and Midwifery, formerly known as the “Triad Meeting,” was held in Geneva on May 23rd and 24th, 2024. This event, hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), and the International Council of Nurses (ICN), saw participation from nursing and midwifery leaders from 152 countries. The GPM aimed to enhance nursing and midwifery leadership, accelerate the implementation of the Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery (2021-2025) ahead of the reporting requirement to the 77th World Health Assembly, and strengthen engagement in and data reporting capacity for the State of the World’s Nursing 2025 and future State of the World’s Midwifery reports.

In conjunction with the GPM, the Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Nursing and Midwifery (GNWHOCCNM) held a meeting on May 22nd. The meeting, hosted by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Development at the University of Technology Sydney (WHO CC UTS), served as the Secretariat for the GNWHOCCNM.

The GNWHOCCNM meeting provided a crucial opportunity for representatives from 34 Collaborating Centres for Nursing and Midwifery, along with partners such as Sigma Nursing and Jhpiego, to convene both in-person and online. The meeting focused on strengthening connections, partnerships, and collaboration among these Collaborating Centres and key institutional stakeholders, including WHO, ICM, and ICN. It also aimed to promote collaboration and communication among network members in alignment with the WHO Strategic Directions in Nursing and Midwifery (SDNM) Policy Priorities 2021-2025, which include Education, Jobs, Leadership, and Service Delivery.

Professor Michele Rumsey, Director of WHO CC UTS, and Professor Debra Anderson, Dean of the Faculty of Health at UTS, hosted the meeting and presented the GNWHOCCNM Annual Report. The report included updates on Collaborating Centre activities including the LINKS Magazine, the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, Collaboration Centre interview analysis, and survey data. Professor Jim Buchan, WHOCCUTS, provided an update on his research into Human Resources for Health. Attendees also received updates from each of the six WHO regions, which reported on recent successes, challenges, and upcoming meetings, programs, and conferences. Additionally, the Midwifery Network, Sigma Nursing, and Jhpiego shared their updates.

 

 

Dr. Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu, WHO Chief Nursing Officer, addressed the meeting, acknowledging the significant contributions of the Collaborating Centres in supporting nursing and midwifery globally. She emphasized the importance of building nursing leadership capabilities, particularly equipping nursing leaders with the skills necessary to effectively debate and influence policy dialogue and directions. 

The GNWHOCCNM meeting provided a valuable opportunity for networking and exchanging ideas among participants, with the goal of strengthening connections, partnerships, and collaboration between Collaborating Centres and key stakeholders.  

Coinciding with the GPM, the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) took place from May 22nd to 30th, 2024. The WHA, WHO's decision-making body, brings together delegations from all WHO Member States to discuss and make decisions on critical health issues. The main aims of the 77th WHA included reviewing and approving the WHO’s program budget for the next biennium, setting global health policies, and addressing key public health challenges such as pandemic preparedness, non-communicable diseases, and health equity.