Event Details

Context 

Side event of the 79th Session of the World Health Assembly (WHA)

Date and Time

Monday, May 18, 8:45 am-11:30 am CEST

Format

90-minute panel session

1 hour networking

Location

International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Av. de la Paix 17, 1202 Genève, Switzerland

Description

Nurses and midwives comprise the majority of the global healthcare workforce, playing an essential role in maternal, newborn, and emergency care. As the primary point of contact in most health systems – from district hospitals to remote communities – their frontline experience provides unique, real-time insight into patient needs and clinical realities. It is therefore essential that their voices are central to policy development at every level.

Despite their expertise, nurses and midwives remain significantly underrepresented in decision-making. Meaningful policy leadership must extend beyond executive roles to include frontline clinicians, educators, and managers. Strengthening these leadership pathways is necessary to unlock the full potential of this workforce and drive equitable health outcomes.

This WHA79 side event will feature impact stories from global nursing and midwifery leaders. These case studies demonstrate how inclusive governance from national policy infrastructure to facility-level models both builds resilient health systems and accelerates progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. The session will conclude with a call to action for stakeholders to invest in and scale these necessary leadership models.

Co-Sponsors and Co-Hosts

Global Alliance for Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma and Anaesthesia Care (G4 Alliance), Butterfly Global Health, International Council of Nurses (ICN), Global Surgery Foundation (GSF), International Association of Nurse Anesthetists (IFNA), International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), Laerdal Global Health, MARCH Health Care Initiative, Ohana One International Surgical Aid & Education, Operation Smile