What is the main objective of the Global Advisory Panel? What are the key issues the panel aims to address?
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Hester C Klopper
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On the global level, nurses are conspicuously absent from the table at places like the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN), and other organisations where global health decisions are being made. At the same time, nurses are being marginalised by administrators focused on cost without considering return on investment. We know patient care improves with the overall nurse education level at a healthcare institution, as referenced in a recent study publicised by the New York Times. On the global stage and in other situations where nurses are marginalised, nurses need to be better at exerting their influence and voices rather than just accepting the status quo of exclusion. GAPFON seeks to provide evidence on the value of nursing, participate in and influence health policy and the global health agenda.
What kind of partnerships the GAPFON is looking out for?
GAPFON leadership is currently exploring alliances to determine best practices and memoranda of agreement for membership in GAPFON. It is seeking partners to lay the financial groundwork as well as key stakeholders and organisations to help partner with the future work of the panel.
What are GAPFON plans for Asia, especially for India?
Currently, GAPFON is beginning a roughly two-year formation phase. During this period, GAPFON will convene a series of regional meetings that will include nurse leaders from key stakeholder groups (including representatives from multiple sectors around the globe) to obtain knowledge and social, economic, cultural and political insight related to issues determined at the inaugural meeting. The GAPFON regional meeting locations, dates and objectives are being discussed and will be announced toward the end of calendar year 2014. The GAPFON panelists are aware that nurses in Asia, and particularly India, make a tremendous impact on a vast population of constituents, and the panel is working to schedule one of the regional meetings in Asia. GAPFON is receiving inquiries and making every effort to include the right representatives in the regional meetings.
India generates the maximum number of nursing staff that work aboard. How does the GAPFON plan to involve Indian nursing leaders to participate Global Advisory Panel?
There is a huge gap in the understanding of global health from country to country. One of the critical issues discussed at the initial GAPFON meeting is the fact that nursing education programmes around the world are not consistent where global health issues and messaging are concerned. For example, one panelist visited a US baccalaureate nursing programme. She asked the students if they knew what the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are, and they did not know the answer.
As Indian nurses add their skills to the worldwide healthcare industry, they will be in a unique position to help identify areas of inconsistency and address them. As mentioned above, GAPFON is working right now to identify key leaders who should be involved in the Asia regional meeting, which will be scheduled before the end of 2014.
The month of May is dedicated to the upliftment of the nursing sector globally. Any special plans in this regard?
Because GAPFON is still in the very beginning stages of formation, this year we will rely on our participating organisations to celebrate nurses month, nurses week, and international nurses day with their respective members and affiliates. As we move forward, the month of May will provide GAPFON an annual opportunity to inform about, uplift, and celebrate the profession of nursing.
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