WHO CC NM UTS is proud to be partnering with the Australian Government under the Partnerships for a Healthy Region (PHR) initiative. Our goals and priorities are well-aligned with the PHR program and the World Health Organization, enhancing regional collaboration to promote Health for All.
Background
The World Health Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development (WHOCCNM (UTS)) is partnering with the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) under the Partnerships for a Healthy Region (PHR) initiative to implement the five-year “Strengthening Health Workforce in the Pacific (Nursing and Midwifery) (SHWP) Program.
The SHWP Program aims to assist 13 Pacific Island countries (PICs) to strengthen population health and their health systems by improving nursing and midwifery leadership, GEDSI, regulation education, standards and practice in the region. Approximately 74% of the Pacific healthcare workforce are nurses and midwives who deliver the majority of health services, especially in remote and rural areas. A strong, capable and resilient workforce able to respond to current priorities can only be achieved by effectively matching the skills of health workers to population needs. This project will build on existing regional partnerships to further strengthen quality and safety of health services to meet the goals of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for people across the Pacific.
Partnerships for a Healthy Region (PHR) is a $620 million five-year initiative (2023–2028) that aims to aid the Pacific and South Asian countries in achieving the delivery of better health outcomes by contributing to resilient, responsive, and equitable public health systems, capable in addressing emergencies. SHWP is the sole program under the PHR that focuses on developing the nursing and midwifery health workforce.
Program goal
Pacific health systems are strengthened to improve the quality of and access to health care and population health across the Pacific, through the development and implementation of a regional improvement program for health workforce leadership, education and regulation.
The program is supportive to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021–2025.
Program outcomes
The SHWP has four program outcomes:
- Leadership and governance: Nursing and midwifery leaders have strengthened leadership skills and capability for more effective and inclusive health governance, policy development and management.
- Gender equality and disability inclusion are mainstreamed into leadership, regulation, standards of practice in the region.
- Regulation. Regional regulation is strengthened to increase the quality and effectiveness of the health workforce in the Pacific.
- Education: Regional competency standards for foundational and advanced nursing and midwifery education and practice are strengthened.
Countries
- Fiji
- Kiribati
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- Nauru
- Niue
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
SWHP Program briefs
2025 in-country workshops
- Vanuatu – March (PDF, 570KB)
- Vanuatu – July (PDF, 612KB)
- Tuvalu – August (PDF, 636KB)
- Fiji – August (PDF, 876KB)
- Kiribati – August (PDF, 558KB)
- Palau – August (PDF, 599KB)
- Tonga – September (PDF, 908KB)
- Papua New Guinea – November (PDF, 1.5MB)
2026 in-country workshops
- Samoa – February 2026 (PDF, 1.5MB)
- Kiribati – February 2026 (PDF, 1.5MB)
- Palau – April 2026 (PDF, 1.6MB)