WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development Launch

Greetings from the World Health Organization in Geneva, the Department of Human Resources for Health and most especially the Nursing and Midwifery Office.

Congratulations to the University of Technology, Sydney, Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health for being designated as the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development. You are the very first WHO Collaborating Centre in Nursing and Midwifery in Australia and one of the six in the Western Pacific Region.

This is an accomplishment of historic proportion and I would like to commend the Faculty and individuals who worked diligently with our Regional Nursing Advisor in WPRO for the past 2 years and who did an outstanding job in delivering scientific and technical programs in HRH and in health systems strengthening at the highest level for the country and the Region. I wish to recognise also the Faculty's excellent work in the Region, and most especially the leadership you are providing to the South Pacific Chief Nursing Officers' Alliance.

At the global level the Nursing and Midwifery Office at WHO in Geneva had the opportunity to work with two of your nursing leaders as nurse scholars and they have impressed us all, the department staff, with their sophisticated thinking, impressive academic and professional accomplishments and above all the high calibre work they deliver in areas of leadership and primary health care.

We are delighted to welcome the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Midwifery and Health Development at the University of Technology, Sydney to the Global Network of Collaborating Centres of Nursing and Midwifery which is made up of a family of 44 WHO Collaborating Centres from around the world. The Global Network is considered a model for WHO Collaborating Centres here at our Headquarters. We look forward to seeing you play a major role at the general meeting of the Global Network of Collaborating Centres in Bangkok on June 23 to 27 this year.

On this special day, the World Health Day, we wish you success in your collective efforts in strengthening nursing and midwifery for improved health of the individuals, families and communities you serve.

We at the WHO Headquarters and Regional Office stand ready to support your work at the Collaborating Centre today and in the years to come. We wish you all the best and together we can make great things happen for improved health of the population. Lastly I say, let the voice of nursing and midwifery from Australia be heard loud and clear in the Western Pacific Region and throughout the world. Thank you.