Date: 2013
WHO CC involvement: in collaboration with SPCNMOA
The Pacific Plan (opens an external site) Action Committee Meeting was held in Suva, Fiji on August 6th 2013. The Pacific Plan is the master strategy for strengthening regional cooperation and integration in the Pacific. The review, described by the chair as "one of the most substantive and far-reaching reviews of Pacific issues ever mounted" has resulted in a number of recommendations that will have a lasting impact on the region. A public submission by SPCNMOA coordinated by WHO CC UTS was put forward to the Pacific Plan team.
The submission made by the SPCNMOA to the Pacific Plan Review Team outlining the four focus areas requiring action in 2014, recommended that the following are taken into consideration for the Pacific Plan review:
- Health workforce strategic planning to meet evolving and unmet population health and health service needs.
- Health workforce education, training and continuing competence.
- Health workforce utilisation, management and retention.
- Governance, leadership and partnerships for sustained human resources for health (HRH) contributions to improved population health outcomes.
SPCNMOA is a strong supporter of nurses, midwives and healthcare workers across the South Pacific, and sees a reviewed Pacific Plan as an important regional strategy that has the potential to encourage better collaboration and coordination. The review of the Pacific Plan provides the opportunity to address the issues highlighted by the SPCNMOA, and to focus on the concerns of highest priority, particularly those in relation to nursing and midwifery leadership, HRH, research and workforce issues, capacity building and policy development.