The UTS World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development is one of only two nursing and midwifery 'institutions of excellence' in Australia formally recognised by WHO as part of its global network of collaborating centres in nursing and midwifery.
UTS: Health was awarded WHO Collaborating Centre status in January 2008, and has since been redesignated as a collaborating centre for a further four years in January 2012 and again in January 2016.
The WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development forms part of an international collaborative network that supports and undertakes projects in support of the World Health Organization's program at national, regional and international levels.
The Centre is one of 11 nursing and midwifery WHO Collaborating Centres in the Western Pacific Region. This region encompasses American Samoa, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (France), Guam (USA), Hong Kong (China), Japan, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Macao (China), Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Federated States of, Mongolia, Nauru, New Caledonia (France), New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Commonwealth of the (USA), Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands (UK), Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tokelau* (New Zealand), Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna (France).
The impetus and rationale for UTS: Health becoming a designated WHO Collaborating Centre is two-fold:
- The Faculty's extensive history of regional work in human resources for health, education, regulation, policy and capacity building makes it well placed to carry out activities in support of WHO programmes; and
- The need for enhanced geographic coverage for health development in the WHO Western Pacific Region, specifically the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, was identified at the South Pacific Chief Nursing Officers' Alliance Meeting in the Cook Islands in 2004.
UTS: Health is internationally recognised within the profession, academia and the health services for its research, education, consultancy and policy development.
It has an outstanding track record of supportive and productive working relationships with national and international health organisations and is thus well placed to act as a hub for this regional work.
Terms of reference
The WHO CC 2016 - 2020 purpose is to support WHO by:
- Facilitating networking, collaboration and communication among Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers in South Pacific as well as for the Global Network of WHO CC for Nursing and Midwifery Development.
- Capacity building to strengthen health systems and human resources for health to respond to priority health challenges.
- Contributing to strengthening health workforce regulation and education toward improving quality of services.
- Strengthening the capacity of the maternal health workforce through improved midwifery education and practice to improve maternal and child health services.
Greetings from the World Health Organization in Geneva, the Department of Human Resources for Health and most especially the Nursing and Midwifery Office.
Congratulations to the University of Technology, Sydney, Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health for being designated as the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development. You are the very first WHO Collaborating Centre in Nursing and Midwifery in Australia and one of the six in the Western Pacific Region.
This is an accomplishment of historic proportion and I would like to commend the Faculty and individuals who worked diligently with our Regional Nursing Advisor in WPRO for the past 2 years and who did an outstanding job in delivering scientific and technical programs in HRH and in health systems strengthening at the highest level for the country and the Region. I wish to recognise also the Faculty's excellent work in the Region, and most especially the leadership you are providing to the South Pacific Chief Nursing Officers' Alliance.
At the global level the Nursing and Midwifery Office at WHO in Geneva had the opportunity to work with two of your nursing leaders as nurse scholars and they have impressed us all, the department staff, with their sophisticated thinking, impressive academic and professional accomplishments and above all the high calibre work they deliver in areas of leadership and primary health care.
We are delighted to welcome the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Midwifery and Health Development at the University of Technology, Sydney to the Global Network of Collaborating Centres of Nursing and Midwifery which is made up of a family of 44 WHO Collaborating Centres from around the world. The Global Network is considered a model for WHO Collaborating Centres here at our Headquarters. We look forward to seeing you play a major role at the general meeting of the Global Network of Collaborating Centres in Bangkok on June 23 to 27 this year.
On this special day, the World Health Day, we wish you success in your collective efforts in strengthening nursing and midwifery for improved health of the individuals, families and communities you serve.
We at the WHO Headquarters and Regional Office stand ready to support your work at the Collaborating Centre today and in the years to come. We wish you all the best and together we can make great things happen for improved health of the population. Lastly I say, let the voice of nursing and midwifery from Australia be heard loud and clear in the Western Pacific Region and throughout the world. Thank you.