World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA)
ICN is a proud member of the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA), a coalition that brings together the five global organizations representing the world’s nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists and physicians. These members also include the FDI World Dental Federation (FDI), the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), World Physiotherapy, and the World Medical Association (WMA).
Together, these organizations represent more than 47 million health care professionals in 179 countries and territories, uniting essential expertise from key health professions to advance shared priorities. WHPA works collectively to improve global health, strengthen and protect the health workforce, support universal health coverage, and enhance the quality and safety of care worldwide.
WHPA introduction and impact
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Presentation of WHPA
WHPA Extended Impact Presentation - 2026
PPTX (4 MB)
News
Global nurse leaders gather in Japan to address urgent workforce crisis
Nursing leaders from Japan and around the world are gathering in Yokohama this week for two major nursing events that are advancing the global conversation on how countries can protect, retain and invest in their nursing workforce as pressures mount across health systems worldwide. The International Workforce Forum (IWFF) on 3–4 February, co-hosted by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and Japanese Nursing Association (JNA), brings together national nurses’ associations from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom to discuss common challenges facing health systems across continents — including workforce shortages, unsafe workloads, inflexible shift patterns, low pay, and rising levels of violence and harassment — and to identify solutions. It is followed by the Japan Nursing Summit on 5 February, an international meeting focused on work-style reform, workforce sustainability and the future of nursing in an era of rapid demographic changes and growing health demands.
4 February 2026
ICN’s advocacy at WHO Executive Board: Investing in the nursing and health workforce for economic security
As the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board (EB) meetings (2–7 February) get underway, the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA), of which the International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a member, has written to the WHO calling for health workforce investment to be placed at the heart of the draft WHO Strategy on the Economics of Health for All (2026–2030).
2 February 2026
ICN Statement on the Death of American ICU Nurse Alex Pretti
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is deeply saddened by the death of Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse in Minneapolis, United States. Nurses around the world are expressing grief, solidarity, and profound concern as details of this tragic incident continue to emerge.
26 January 2026
ICN President raises concerns with Spain’s Minister of Health and WHO Representative: global nurse shortages, unethical recruitment, and attacks on health care
The President of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), Dr. José Luis Cobos Serrano, met in Madrid with Spain’s Minister of Health and European representative on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO), Mónica García. During the meeting, they addressed the major challenges threatening the sector: the severe shortage of nurses, inequalities in international recruitment processes, and the rise in attacks against health services, especially in conflict zones.
22 January 2026
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Global nurse leaders gather in Japan to address urgent workforce crisis
Nursing leaders from Japan and around the world are gathering in Yokohama this week for two major nursing events that are advancing the global conversation on how countries can protect, retain and invest in their nursing workforce as pressures mount across health systems worldwide. The International Workforce Forum (IWFF) on 3–4 February, co-hosted by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and Japanese Nursing Association (JNA), brings together national nurses’ associations from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom to discuss common challenges facing health systems across continents — including workforce shortages, unsafe workloads, inflexible shift patterns, low pay, and rising levels of violence and harassment — and to identify solutions. It is followed by the Japan Nursing Summit on 5 February, an international meeting focused on work-style reform, workforce sustainability and the future of nursing in an era of rapid demographic changes and growing health demands.
4 February 2026
-
WHO
ICN’s advocacy at WHO Executive Board: Investing in the nursing and health workforce for economic security
As the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board (EB) meetings (2–7 February) get underway, the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA), of which the International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a member, has written to the WHO calling for health workforce investment to be placed at the heart of the draft WHO Strategy on the Economics of Health for All (2026–2030).
2 February 2026
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#NursesforPeace
ICN Statement on the Death of American ICU Nurse Alex Pretti
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is deeply saddened by the death of Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse in Minneapolis, United States. Nurses around the world are expressing grief, solidarity, and profound concern as details of this tragic incident continue to emerge.
26 January 2026
-
ICN President raises concerns with Spain’s Minister of Health and WHO Representative: global nurse shortages, unethical recruitment, and attacks on health care
The President of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), Dr. José Luis Cobos Serrano, met in Madrid with Spain’s Minister of Health and European representative on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO), Mónica García. During the meeting, they addressed the major challenges threatening the sector: the severe shortage of nurses, inequalities in international recruitment processes, and the rise in attacks against health services, especially in conflict zones.
22 January 2026