Mission and vision

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 successively redesignated as a collaborating centre for a further four years in January 2012, January 2016 and again in January 2020.

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.