The World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development at UTS (WHO CC UTS) held a reception on Wednesday 18 June to celebrate their work, the retirement of a regionally important health professional and welcome 13 Pacific island nurse/midwife colleagues.
To kick off the event, a photo exhibition of 56 photos was displayed showing the many projects and collaborations the WHO CC UTS is working on in the region and globally.
Professor John Daly, Head of the WHO CC UTS and Dean of the Faculty of Health, and Michele Rumsey, Director of Operations and Development WHO CC UTS, welcomed 13 Fellows visiting UTS from Pacific Island Countries. The Fellows are participants of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)-funded Australia Awards Fellowships (AAF) program that has been developed in collaboration with the South Pacific Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers Alliance. This very successful program has seen 94 participants since 2009, several of which have gone on to become Chief Nurses in their own country.
Ian Anderson, leading economist and health professional advocate, addressed those who attended the celebration with a call to action for Pacific Island countries, and in particular nurses, to address the prevention of non-communicable diseases rather than waiting for the need for expensive treatment options.
The evening concluded with a send-off for Professor Pelenatete Stowers, retired Chief Nurse/Midwife of Samoa, and speeches by Dr Rosemary Bryant, Chief Nurse of Australia; Adjunct Professor Debra Thoms, CEO of Australian College of Nursing; Professor Caroline Homer, Associate Head WHO CC UTS; and Anna Sinapati, an AAF fellow from Tokelau. These leaders in nursing and midwifery expressed gratitude for the enormous amount of work and inspiration provided by Professor Stowers. A final farewell song was performed by the 13 visiting Pacific Island colleagues to conclude the evening.
