An international audience has gathered at a Public Health England (PHE) nursing and midwifery conference in Liverpool today, Tuesday 14 May 2019.
The Global Perspectives on Tackling Public Health Issues conference celebrates the major contribution made by nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals in improving the health and wellbeing of populations across the world.
The event brings together experts to share evidence and best practice, on how these professionals play a leading role in protecting health, preventing avoidable disease and promoting wellbeing globally.
The conference supports the global Nursing Now campaign and is taking place at Liverpool John Moores University on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 May 2019.
From responding to emergencies and protecting vulnerable populations to promoting maternal health and tackling obesity, the event will highlight where nurses and midwives have led successful public health interventions, and explore how outcomes can be improved through prevention and early support.
The event will also address major current risks to global public health as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO), exploring how nurses and midwives can help tackle antimicrobial resistance and how they can promote immunisation and speak confidently about the value of vaccines.
Professor Viv Bennett, Chief Nurse at Public Health England, said:
Nurses and midwives are the biggest workforce delivering healthcare globally. They make a vital contribution to tackling the complex public health challenges we face and to improving the health and wellbeing of people everywhere.
This conference gives us an important opportunity to share expertise with practitioners and clinical leaders from across the world so that we can support nurses and midwives to play an even greater role in preventing illness, protecting health and promoting wellbeing.
Hosted jointly with Liverpool John Moores University, the event will reflect on the importance of the city in pioneering nurse-led approaches to improving public health. Leading practitioners will outline their vision for enhancing the profile and status of nurses and midwives in global public health, and how they can be supported to embed prevention into practice, with a focus on promoting the wellbeing of children and young people.
The event will also explore how managers and system leaders can maximise the impact of nurses and midwives, building on the work of the PHE-led Public Health Nursing and Midwifery WHO Collaborating Centre.
Contributions will feature from practitioners, academics, policy officials and Nursing Now ambassadors from across WHO member states, providing an opportunity for young nurses from across the world to meet and learn. Countries represented include the US, Canada, Argentina, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Pakistan.
Background
Speakers include:
- Viv Bennett, Chief Nurse at Public Health England and Head of WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Nursing and Midwifery
- Mark Power, interim Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Liverpool John Moores University
- Professor Raphaela Kane, Interim Executive Dean and Director of Nursing and Allied Health, Liverpool John Moores University
- Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer, NHS England
- Professor Kay Currie, Associate Dean, Research and Professor of Nursing, Glasgow Caledonian University and Head of WHO collaborating centre for AMR
- Rita Olans, Assistant Professor School of Nursing, MGH Institute of Health Professions, USA
- Sobia Idrees, Nurse Manager, Federal General Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
