World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development
Information available only for Members
This year's World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development argues that gender equality is a core development objective in its own right. It is also smart economics. Greater gender equality can enhance productivity, improve development outcomes for the next generation, and make institutions more representative.
The Report stresses that despite the overall progress, primary and secondary school enrollments for girls remain much lower than for boys for disadvantaged populations in many Sub-Saharan countries and some parts of South Asia. ICN’s Girl Child Education Fund seeks to address this issue by supporting the primary and secondary education of girls under the age of 18 in four sub-Saharan African countries. For more information go to www.fnif.org/girlfund.htm:
The Report focus on four priorities for domestic policy action:
Addressing excess deaths of girls and women and eliminating gender disadvantage in education where these remain entrenched.
Closing differences in access to economic opportunities and the ensuing earnings and productivity gaps between women and men.
Shrinking gender differences in voice within households and societies.
Limiting the reproduction of gender inequality across generations.
Last Updated on Thursday, 02 February 2012
World Cancer Day 2012: ’Together it is possible’
On the occasion of World Cancer Day, 4 February 2012, ICN calls attention to our work in this area.
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 7.6 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) in 2008 (Globocan 2008, IARC 2010)
Lung, stomach, liver, colon and breast cancer cause the most cancer deaths each year.
The most frequent types of cancer differ between men and women.
About 30% of cancer deaths are due to the five leading behavioral and dietary risks: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, alcohol use. (WHO 2011 Fact Sheet)
The WHO's Executive Board has nominated Dr Margaret Chan for a second term as Director-General of the Organization. This nomination will be submitted for approval to the 65th World Health Assembly, scheduled to meet in Geneva from 21–26 May 2012. If confirmed by the World Health Assembly, Dr Chan's new term will begin on 1 July 2012 and continue until 30 June 2017.
ICN welcomes the appointment of Dr Ala Alwan as the new WHO Regional Director for WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Region, starting 1 February 2012. Dr Alwan is a native of Iraq. From 2008 until the end of 2011, he was Assistant Director-General for Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health at WHO Headquarters, where he led WHO's work that resulted in the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2011 of the Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases.
Last Updated on Thursday, 02 February 2012
Health professional trial resumes
The trial of the 20 health professionals resumed in Bahrain on 9 January 2012. Their lawyers have asked the court to lift the travel bans imposed on them in order to allow them to return to work. In addition, their lawyers have requested the court to write a document ensuring that confessions obtained under torture are not used in the case. The next trial session will be held on 19 March 2012.
Last Updated on Friday, 13 January 2012
A greeting message for the new year from ICN CEO David Benton
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Last Updated on Thursday, 02 February 2012
New report on the Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health
The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health has recently released a new report on the global push to improve the health of women and children. ICN is one of the 200 partners involved in this joint effort. The report, based on structured interviews and reviews of related documentation, seeks to further our collective understanding of the current Global Strategy commitments, facilitating more effective advocacy to advance the Every Woman, Every Child effort.
As part of the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA)’s counterfeit medical products campaign ‘Be Aware, Take Action’, WHPA is holding a two-day workshop on combating counterfeit medicines in Prague, Czech Republic, on 21-22 November 2011.
This meeting aims to bring together representatives of health professions organisations and relevant national and regional authorities to:
Share information on the situation of counterfeit medicines in the region, and share best practices and measures taken in different countries by the various health professions;
Debate how to encourage actions aimed at reducing the entry of counterfeit medicines in this region;
Consider sustained and collaborative action plans involving the various healthcare professions in each country participating in the workshop, to combat counterfeit medicines continuously for the next 12 months;
Reach a collective commitment to give priority to the issue of counterfeit medicines through a regional "WHPA Call to Action", as a commitment and collaboration of the health care professions in this serious problem.
ICN recently heard from the president of the Thailand Nurses Association, Jintana Yunibhand, on the situation in Thailand following the recent floods. She reports that many nurses are still missing, and many others have lost their homes and belongings in the flood. Chulalongkorn University and the NNA building have been turned into a relief camp. Jintana is volunteering her expertise to provide health screening and care for psychiatric mental health and chronic illness clients in the relief camp every day. It is reported that the flooding will remain in Bangkok for two more weeks.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Global Nursing Leadership Institute
Information available only for Members
Last Updated on Monday, 31 October 2011
World Diabetes Day 2011
To mark World Diabetes Day on 14 November 2011, ICN is highlighting its work to fight non-communicable disease. WHO estimates that more than 220 million people worldwide have diabetes. This number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Almost 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
The potential for nurses to contribute to improvement in the health of populations across the world through attention to chronic disease prevention and care has never been greater. There is an urgent need for nurses everywhere to take the initiative and engage with all parts of the community and all sectors to address the growing threat chronic diseases pose to global health and well being.
To that aim, ICN has produced several documents on non-communicable disease prevention which are available here:
WHPA statement on NCDs and social determinants of health: www.whpa.org/WHPA_statement_NCD_SDH.pdf
Last Updated on Monday, 31 October 2011
Bahraini health professionals sentences overturned
ICN is delighted to announce that, in response to international pressure, Bahrain’s attorney general has overturned the sentences of the 20 health professionals and ordered retrials. We are pleased to hear that the proper processes will be followed and that the health professionals will be allowed to present their defence. However, we remain vigilant on the final outcome. Roula al-Saffar, a leader of the Bahraini Nursing Society, who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison, was quoted as saying, “I am shocked, but at the same time I am very happy. It is a new start for us. I hope that they will hear us out this time...We would like to thank all the nurses who joined our call for justice”.
Last Updated on Thursday, 06 October 2011
Patient Safety
New evidence of unsafe care from Latin America
ICN is pleased to share with you the results of the recent Latin American Study of Adverse Events (IBEAS). The first large scale study of this kind in Latin America, the IBEAS is the result of a collaborative effort between the governments of Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Peru, as well as the Spanish Agency for Quality of the Ministry of Health, Social Policy and Equality, the Pan-American Health Organization and WHO Patient Safety.
Highlights of the report show that:
on any given day, 10% of the patients admitted to the participating hospitals were suffering from or were undergoing treatment for a hospital related adverse event;
this risk doubled when taking into account the entire patient's stay at the hospital, with 20% of inpatients experiencing at least one harmful incident during their hospitalization;
more than half of those harmful incidents could have been avoided.
This evidence is a reflection of the reality of many other hospitals in transitional countries across the globe and it highlights the importance of addressing patient safety globally.
New guide released by World Health Organisation to support the education of nurses and other health professionals about patient safety.
ICN was pleased to be part of the Expert Working Group that contributed to the development of the World Health Organisation's newly released Multi-professional Patient Safety Curriculum Guide. This guide was developed to assist universities and schools in the professions of medicine, nursing, midwifery dentistry and pharmacy in teaching and integrating the important concepts of patient safety in their curricula. The Guide is comprised of two parts, Part A is focused on building capacity of educators to teach the concepts of patient safety and Part B consists of eleven topic-based teaching modules. ICN President Rosemary Bryant in her forward to this Guide highlighted how nurses around the world have an important role to play in improving patient safety. She indicated that this guide raises awareness of the need to integrate patient safety into the curriculum of all health professionals and provides a common knowledge base while also allowing for flexibility for each discipline to make its unique contribution.
On the occasion of International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction on October 13, ICN pays its respects to all those nurses working in disaster relief around the world. ICN supports nurses working in this area through our Disaster Response Network and through our many position statements and publications including:
ICN in collaboration with the Taiwan Nurses Association will be hosting the Forum on Credentialing and Regulation in Taipei, Taiwan from October 31 to November 2, 2011.
The purpose of the annual Forum is to provide participants with an opportunity for interaction, information sharing and dialogue on international issues pertaining to credentialing and regulation. Invited participants are the National Nurses Associations with an interest in credentialing and regulatory organizations at the national level.
Currently there are 45 individuals from 17 countries registered to participate in the 2011 Forum. Topics to be discussed include Scopes of Practice and the Continuum of Care, Continuing Competence, Social Networking and its Implications for Credentialing and Regulation and the Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on Health Care Delivery, Capacity to Meet Standards and Scopes of Practice.
A report from the forum, once finalised will be posted on ICN website.
Last Updated on Monday, 31 October 2011
The Sanofi Care Challenge
ICN is working in partnership with Sanofi, the Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation (NPHF), the Secrétariat International des Infirmières et Infirmiers de l’Espace Francophone (SIDIIEF) and the Association Française pour le Développement de l’Education Thérapeutique (AFDET) on a project called Connecting Nurses, which aims to provide a new kind of support and a stronger voice to nurses. The project includes an on-line contest called Care Challenge, available on www.care-challenge.com, where nurses can submit their ideas, share information and education with others in the field and nominate colleagues for an award in nursing excellence. This recognition programme is open to licensed nurses anywhere in the world. There will be a total of 20 awards for the best ideas, which will offer an incredible opportunity to develop the initiatives further and give them global recognition. Sanofi will be launching Care Challenge in Paris on 4 October 2011.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 05 October 2011
World Heart Day 2011
Representing WHPA at the Summit, the World Medical Association advocated for a complete approach to addressing the global rise in non-communicable diseases that links individual risk factors with social and economic determinants of health, conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, and the influences of society. In particular, the WHPA urged Member States to:
Adopt a holistic approach based on common risk factors.
Extend the scope from a limited number of diseases to the broad field of NCDs
Ensure equitable access to health care as a human right so as to address the dramatic disparities within and between countries.
Promote a common approach that addresses and pays due attention to the link between non-communicable diseases and the social determinants of health, with a particular focus on the broader factors that influence behaviour and associated health risks.
Emphasize primary health care as the way to strengthen health care systems through a comprehensive approach that integrates prevention, specialised treatment and rehabilitation supported by the enhancement of collaborative practice between healthcare professionals (integrated care).
And you can access more information on World Heart Day on the website of the World Heart Federation: www.world-heart-federation.org/
Last Updated on Thursday, 29 September 2011
Adele Herwitz
Adele Herwitz | (Obituary in the Boston Globe newspaper)
HERWITZ, Adele 92, of Dedham, formerly of Brookline, died Sept. 4 after experiencing a major stroke........A woman ahead of her times, she developed a high-powered career championing the causes of nurses around the world. Born April 21, 1919, in Swampscott, MA, one of four sisters. Served as captain in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during World War II. Earned bachelor's, then master's degree in nursing administration from Columbia University. Began long career as nursing-association executive in 1952. Loved being "in the thick of things." Represented American Nurses' Association at Martin Luther King Jr's famous Walk on Washington. Invited to tea with the Queen of England. Lived life to its fullest. Enjoyed taking classes, eating at local delicatessens, and delighting in the company of friends and relatives. Will be remembered for her lively wit and legendary matzoh balls. Predeceased by her elder sisters Martha (Herwitz) Brem and Ruth (Herwitz) Adelson. She leaves behind her youngest sister, Barbara (Herwitz) Axelrod; four nephews (Peter Brem, Jerome Brem, Andrew Brem, and Steven Axelrod) and one niece, Joan Axelrod-Contrada; and their families. Also leaves many close friends and professional associates, including "fourth sister" Thelma Shorr and protegee Virginia Maroun.
Last Updated on Friday, 09 September 2011
The Lancet
'The Lancet has a commitment to improving global health, and this area gathers all our global health content in one location at www.thelancet.com/global-health Global health content is free to all users, so if you have an interest in this area, spend some time browsing our content.
World Reports and Perspectives articles are ideal for anyone who wants a personal view on a subject, and The Lancet Global Health Series, and Regional Reports and Commissions provide in-depth views for anyone seeking disease-specific or regional information.'
Last Updated on Monday, 29 August 2011
Bahrain Nurse
Rula al-Saffar’s release has been confirmed by Amnesty International. ICN is delighted to know that Rula has been released and that she is now able to get medical care. We hope that the legal process will be completed quickly and fairly to allow her to return to her normal life.
However, ICN does remain concerned that Ms Al-Saffar will be tried in a military court on Sunday 28 August 2011, even though she is a civilian.
For more information from Amnesty International please click here
Last Updated on Friday, 26 August 2011
Tripoli nurse
Karen Graham, a matron at the 11th of June Hospital in a residential area of Tripoli, told the BBC World Service about working in a hospital which is right in the thick of the fighting:
"It's absolutely horrific. Unfortunately we're in the residential area of Gargour and it is being defended with force from the rebels. There is a bridge about 20m from where I am in the hospital, and one side of the bridge is pro-Gaddafi and one side of the bridge is anti. They're chucking rocks and everything at each other, and it's just awful. Last night there were massive rocket-propelled grenades and heavy arms fire, small arms fire, and that went on for about three to four hours. The patients are absolutely petrified. And the staff are petrified. We had rebels inside our compound last night and they said they were trying to protect us but they were actually trying to gain a better vantage point at some snipers across the road. We're not daft. We could see exactly what they were doing. They are respecting the fact that it's a hospital although obviously we can't really function as one of those at the moment, because we're in the middle of this battle. We're treating everybody and anybody - we don't discriminate at all”
Stray bullets
The streets are deserted, absolutely deserted and nobody can move outside. Even to go to my laboratory last night - I was dicing with death. It's not the fact that they are aiming at us - it's all the stray bullets that you've got to worry about. Unfortunately we did get injuries last night - from people who were leaving the mosque and stray bullets hit them. We're treating anybody and everybody - we don't discriminate at all. And they know that - there are no issues. Overnight, Tripoli was pitch black. All the electricity got cut, we only just got power back. But to find a capital city completely in blackness, not one light, for miles and miles, it's an eerie thing. It is very unnerving. We do have generators, and in terms of supplies we are doing OK compared to a lot of the government hospitals, which ran out of the basics months ago.
Duty of care
Last week they even ran out of oxygen. The local hospital, the central hospital, has got no scrub nurses. They're all Libyan, they're all scared to come to work, so they can't actually carry out any operations. The doctors are all setting up their own little clinics - out of the city - because it's not safe to work inside the city. Would I leave if I could? No, I've got a job to do. I feel a duty of care to these people. I'm the matron at this clinic and I've got a lot of nurses that look up to me. Although I've only been here nine months, I'm accepted in the clinic and I'm well thought of. I can't desert them when they really, really need me. And now they really, really need me. I just want to be here and want to be a stabilising force and help them through this horrific time."
Study visit (2011): The Japanese Red Cross Hiroshima College of Nursing
ICN was delighted to welcome 10 students fromthe Japanese Red Cross Hiroshima College of Nursing on 24 August.
The students were in Geneva for a study tour, organised by college President Dr Sachie Shindo, as part of the Preparatory Course for International Relief. They were particularly keen to learn more about disaster nursing and participation in relief efforts as well as the activities of ICN. The delegation from the College also included:
Ms Tomoe Watanabe, Associate Professor Ms Miwa Murata, Lecturer Mr Takeshi Niinuma, Assistant Professor
Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Health Care in Danger
Violence against health care workers and facilities in conflict zones is a grave yet often unnoticed humanitarian issue today and is becoming increasingly common. It is not for nurses or doctors to decide who to treat, but rather it is our duty to offer services to all those in need. Protecting health workers in doing their job is of foundational importance and is a key step in rebuilding trust and recovering from the dreadful consequences of violent conflict.
ICN commends and supports the ICRC Health Care in Danger project and the four year commitment to “safeguard the delivery of effective and impartial health care in armed conflict and other situations of violence.”According to ICRC research carried out in 16 countries across the globe, millions could be spared if the delivery of health care were more widely respected. "The most shocking finding is that people die in large numbers not because they are direct victims of a roadside bomb or a shooting," research leaders Dr Robin Coupland said. "They die because the ambulance does not get there in time, because health-care personnel are prevented from doing their work, because hospitals are themselves targets of attacks or simply because the environment is too dangerous for effective health care to be delivered."
INMO ADDS VOICE TO CONDEMNATION OF ARREST OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS IN BAHRAIN
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), have joined their colleagues, in the International Council of Nurses (ICN), in expressing alarm and concern for 24 nurses and 23 physicians who have been arrested in Bahrain. The health professionals, some of whom are Irish trained, were arrested when government authorities entered several hospitals in February and arrested those who had provided medical treatment to injured pro-democracy protestors. They have been charged with ‘anti-state activity’ as a result of providing care to these wounded civilians.
The INMO has been informed that several Irish trained doctors are facing trial this week. They have been accused of killing their patients and the rulers of the country are seeking their execution. The ICN has called for an immediate independent investigation into the charges laid against those arrested so that other healthcare workers can practice their profession in accordance with the ethical, health care and human rights commitments that underpin their professions.
INMO President, Sheila Dickson spoke today on the matter:
‘The INMO fully supports ICN’s call for an independent external investigation into the arrest of the healthcare workers in Bahrain. It is appalling that nurses and physicians can be charged with a criminal offense while fulfilling their professional duty. Human rights entitlements, medical neutrality and the ethical responsibility of healthcare professionals must take precedence over political issues in times of conflict.’
-end-
Issued by Aiveen Cleary, INMO media relations dept: 087 1210179
Last Updated on Friday, 22 July 2011
UK nurses urge fair trial for health workers in Bahrain
Speaking in advance of military trials in Bahrain for more than 40 nurses, doctors and other health workers, Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said:
“We are very concerned that healthcare workers appear to be being targeted for nothing more than treating patients in need, putting them in an intolerable position. We welcome the intervention of the UK government via its embassy in Bahrain and the International Council of Nurses. We urge regimes to adhere to their national and international commitments to protect patients, nurses and doctors. They should also recognise that doctors and nurses are there to help the sick and injured wherever, and whoever, they are. We are alarmed at allegations of torture or other ill-treatment
of these healthcare workers. They should never be put in a position where they are punished for trying to do this job, and we would urge the authorities in Bahrain to ensure that the trial faced by these workers is fair and transparent.”
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.
ICN’s 25th Quadrennial Congress : Equity and Access to Health Care ICN looks forward to welcoming you to our 25th Quadrennial Congress in Melbourne, Australia, 18-23 May 2013.
ICN is pleased to announce the launch of a special Florence Nightingale teddy bear in support of the Girl Child Education Fund (GCEF). The GCEF provides for the primary and secondary schooling of orphaned daughters of nurses in developing countries, paying for school fees, uniforms, shoes and books. The GCEF is an initiative of ICN’s premier foundation, the Florence Nightingale International Foundation (FNIF).
To order this delightful bear and support the GCEF, just click on the bear or go to www.gcefbear.com
What's New
Karen Graham, a matron at the 11th of June Hospital in a residential area of Tripoli, told the BBC World Service about working in a hospital which is right in the thick of the fighting:
