Background
The 72nd WHA was held in Geneva from the 20-28th of May 2019 with a thematic focus on Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The Director‐General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, highlighted in his opening speech the main achievements of WHO’s Programme of Work and the importance of Primary Health Care in achieving UHC.
Likewise, 194 member states present at the WHA passed the first ever resolution to confirm that 2020 will be the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
2020 as International Year of the Nurse and Midwife
WHO CC UTS Director Michele Rumsey attended the International Council of Nurses and Nursing Now!
meeting where it was announced that 2020 will be the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. For the first time in history, the nations around the world will unite in celebration of the benefits that nursing and midwifery bring to the health of the global population.
From this announcement, Nursing Now! has launched the Nightingale Challenge 2020, calling on all employers of nurses and midwives globally to provide leadership and development training for 20 young nurses and midwives next year.
“Without nurses and midwives, we will not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or universal health coverage” - Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization
The 73rd WHA will see the launch of the WHO State of the World’s Nursing Report developed in close collaboration with the ICN and Nursing Now Campaign. This report will describe how the nursing workforce deliver UHC and the SDGs, along with areas for policy development for the next three to five years. It will also provide a technical description of the nursing workforce in Member States to inform national policy dialogue on strengthening nursing and accelerating progress across the SDGs.
ICN and ICM Key Agendas
The Secretariat of the Global Network of WHO CCs for Nursing and Midwifery was represented at side meetings and collaborations by Dr. Nancy Reynolds, Associate Dean of John Hopkins University and Ms Michele Rumsey, Director of WHO CC UTS. Several of the important agenda items for the 72nd WHA in 2019 that ICN and ICM put resolutions forward for were:
- 11.4 Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
- 11.5 Universal health coverage: Primary health care towards universal health coverage
- 12.3 Human resources for health – WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel: third round of national reporting
- 12.8 Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016-2030)
- 19.0 Other matters referred to the Heal Assembly by the Executive Board – 2020 International Year of Nursing and Midwifery
Event Activities
ICN WHA Network Lunch
WHO Chief Nurse Elizabeth Iro
This annual event was especially energetic and enthusiastic with representatives from all the key stakeholder groups and WHO nursing staff taking part. Again, there were many senior nursing and midwifery representatives from the Pacific Region in attendance. Howard Catton ICN CEO, thanked Adjunct Professor Debra Thoms CNMO Australia, for her outstanding leadership on WHO Executive Board.
ICN CEO Howard Catton and Adjunct Professor Debra Thoms, CNMO Australia
WHO Taskforce on Nursing and Midwifery
WHO CC UTS Director Michele Rumsey was in attendance at the Taskforce Networking Meeting led by Chief Nurse for WHO, Mrs Elizabeth Iro. She explained that the Taskforce that will provide an interdisciplinary platform to strengthen, mainstream and make visible the contributions of WHO nurses and midwives at WHO headquarters, regional and country offices. Also, discussions confirmed ways countries could achieve the Strengthening Quality Midwifery Education for UHC 2030 Framework For Action.
Walk the Talk
The WHO joined with partners and the public from Geneva and around the world to stage the second edition of the “Walk the Talk: The Health for All Challenge” event on Sunday 19 May 2019 in Geneva. Building on the success of the inaugural event held in 2018, more than 5000 people took part in the event.
Summary
The WHA presented a great opportunity for senior nurses and midwives to collaborate on the importance of nursing and midwifery in achieving UHC. Next year will be special for nurses and midwives with the launch of the State of the World’s Nursing and Midwifery report at WHA 73.
References:
- https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/world-health-assembly
- https://www.icn.ch/news/international-council-nurses-and-nursing-now-welcome-2020-international-year-nurse-and-midwife
- https://www.who.int/hrh/nursing_midwifery/state-of-the-worlds-nursing-and-midwifery-2020-get-engaged.pdf
- https://www.icn.ch/news/global-voice-nursing-heard-loud-and-clear-world-health-assembly-meeting-geneva
- https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2019/05/19/default-calendar/walk-the-talk-the-health-for-all-challenge-2019