The European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations (EFNNMA) is the voice of nursing and midwifery within WHO European Region.Working in partnership and strategically with WHO and other key stakeholders we aim to influence health policy, improve the quality of health services and the health of people across the 53 Member States of the Region. We are passionate advocates of the central and unique contribution that Nurses and Midwives make to individual and population health and well-being across Europe and are committed to ensuring both professions are supported to deliver excellence in their practice. As the nature of care changes we believe that strengthening and developing the nursing and midwifery workforce through the provision of lifelong learning and research delivers excellence in public health and people-centered healthcare.
WHO/Europe and EFNNMA Memorandum of understanding
EFNNMA and WHO/Europe have agreed on a two-year work plan to collaborate on the strategic directions for strengthening nursing and midwifery services in the WHO European Region. EFNNMA will also contribute to the European compendium of good nursing and midwifery practices that WHO/Europe is developing.
The WHO Regional Director for Europe, Ms Zsuzsanna Jakab, and the Chairperson of the EFNNMA steering committee, Ms Valentina Sarkisova, signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines the new collaboration at the steering committee’s meeting on February 6, 2014. WHO/Europe will present the compendium and a document delineating the strategic directions to European Member States at the next session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, in September 2014.
Focus on developing nursing and midwifery professions
As part of this collaboration, the two organizations will contribute to and influence the debate on improving the health of the European citizens and the quality of health care services in Europe, in line with the vision of the European health policy, Health 2020. The partnership aims to promote the continuous development of the nursing and midwifery professions in all countries in the Region at all levels of intervention: education, practice, management, research and policy formulation. The extensive EFNNMA network of national nursing and midwifery associations will be mobilized to pursue this goal.
The memorandum of understanding recognizes the value of dialogue between the EFNNMA and WHO/Europe and the potential strength of joint action to achieve Health 2020 goals in the Region. It opens a new chapter in WHO’s collaboration with EFNNMA, which began in 1996, with the overall goal of promoting health and providing better health care services.