Longform title:
Scoping study: Improving the quality of nursing and midwifery education and regulation in Pacific Island countries and areas
In January 2021, WHO CC UTS completed the scoping study to provide recommendations, including a roadmap, for improving the quality of nursing and midwifery education and regulation in Pacific Island countries and areas. WHO CC UTS in collaboration with WHO Division of Pacific Technical Support (DPS) and the Ministry/ Department of Health in the Pacific Island countries and areas, set up and convened virtual meetings and consultations to perform a desktop review of; grey literature drawn from regional and national reports, peer reviews papers and minutes from regional meetings of both nursing and other healthcare leaders to develop a strategic roadmap for improving the quality of nursing and midwifery within the region.
The scoping study is timely as the Pacific Health Ministers at the 13th Pacific Health Ministers Meeting in 2019 committed to ‘identifying the health workforce indicators needed for decision–making for the issues of development shortages, retention and regulations of the health workforce across primary health care and specialised services in the Pacific. Meanwhile, the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals were again emphasised at the 68th Regional Committee Meeting of WHO Western Pacific Region, to put health workers as a priority action domain to achieve UHC and to strengthen the regulatory systems to improve the quality and safety of the health system’s performance.
The scoping report summarises key regional issues and concerns which were re-confirmed by the Steering Committee. It outlines priority areas on which to focus in line with broader national and regional health development goals of Universal Health Coverage and other health related aims of the Sustainable development goals. While the roadmap provides identified goals in achieving the recommendations for nursing and midwifery education in the region.
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