Dr Pamela Cipriano leads nursing presence at World Health Assembly

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) represented the world’s 28 million nurses at the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA77) which was held in Geneva from 27 May to 2 June 2024. Led by ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano, who attended WHA in-person, ICN’s work across the WHA agenda included interventions, side events and bilateral meetings as well as monitoring references to nurses and ICN priorities throughout the week.

Read the report highlighting ICN’s work at WHA here.

Watch a WHA wrap-up video by ICN CEO Howard Catton here.

Dr Cipriano, who is co-chair of UHC2030, led ICN’s work to promote the importance of Universal Health Coverage, calling for Members States to optimize and increase investments in education, employment and retention of the nursing workforce to achieve UHC.

On the eve of WHA77, the leaders of the World Health Professions Alliance - Luís Lourenço President of the International Pharmaceutical Federation FIP; Pamela Cipriano, ICN President; Lujain Alqodmani, President of the World Medical Association; Greg Chadwick, President of FDI World Dental Federation; and Mike Landry, President of World Physiotherapy - launched a new WHPA strategy, championing collaboration for sustainable health workforces. Read the full story here.

With a strong delegation of over 140 people, both virtual and in-person, led by Erica Burton, ICN Nursing and Health Policy Senior Analyst, ICN delivered interventions across the WHA agenda, including:

• Item 11.1 Universal health coverage
• Item 11.7 Acceleration towards the Sustainable Development Goal targets for maternal health and child mortality
• Item 14.3 Global Health and Peace Initiative
• Item 15.4 Climate change, pollution and health
• Item 15.5 Economics and health for all
• Item 13.4 Intergovernmental Negotiating Body to draft and negotiate a WHO convention, agreement or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response

ICN staff and leadership also took part in a host of side events and met with key nursing and health leaders to strengthen partnerships and collaboration. ICN also held its annual ICN Nurse Delegates Luncheon to bring together all nurses attending WHA to highlight topics of importance to the profession.

The WHA is the decision-making body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board. ICN has been attending the WHA every year since 1949.