Representing ICN at the 73rd @WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo, Dr Kawthar Mahmoud, President of the Egyptian Nurses Syndicate, delivered ICN’s statements, highlighting the importance of empowering nurses and strengthening their leadership role in health systems. Dr Mahmoud also met with WHO Director-General @DrTedros , reinforcing the importance of nursing leadership and nurses’ contribution to stronger health systems. We thank Dr Mahmoud for representing ICN and the voice of nurses across the region! 🔗 Explore ICN’s statements and advocacy at WHO EMRO: bit.ly/4dHZ92S #EMRC73 @WHOEMRO

During the @WHO Youth Council in Berlin, Josephine Agyei, Chair of the ICN Alliance of Student and Early Career Nurses #SECN, delivered a presentation on building meaningful youth leadership in nursing and global health. Ms Agyei highlighted the importance of providing structural support through sustained leadership opportunities and long-term investment in emerging health professionals. 🔗 Read more: bit.ly/3VHWEY5

“Nurses are the rock ’n’ roll of global health.” ICN CEO @HowardCatton delivered the Rozella M. Schlotfeldt Lecture in Cleveland yesterday. He presented powerful evidence of nurses keeping communities healthy, managing chronic disease, and shaping ethical tech/AI. Health systems must now back them with investment, fair pay, safe conditions and the authority to lead.

Attacks on health workers and health facilities cannot become the new normal. Lebanon’s 🇱🇧 Health Minister, Dr Rakan Nassereddine, raised this concern with me on the margins of #EMRC73 in Cairo, and he expects the next WHO Director-General to act firmly on it. This reflects a commitment in my manifesto – launching a Heads of State Coalition to prevent attacks on health care, supported by an independent global monitor reporting to WHO’s governing bodies. We also discussed sustained support for Lebanon as it rebuilds with limited resources, as well as the needs of displaced people. I outlined how my vision of a country-first WHO would help – through predictable financing and a stronger presence in conflict-affected countries. The reconstructed Karantina central medical supplies warehouse, supported by Japan and WHO, shows what such support can deliver. The Minister also asked a fundamental question: how do we ensure that access to vaccines and lifesaving tools does not depend on a country’s political influence? My position is clear: health must always come above politics. The WHO I want to lead will serve every Member State fairly, regardless of its size, wealth, or political influence.

"Nurses belong at the policy table as well as the bedside table." Explore "From WHA to Action: A Nursing Policy Guide for Global Health Advocacy & Decision-Making", ICN’s official report on the 79th World Health Assembly #WHA79. Gain practical insights into the economic power of health for all, ethical recruitment, strengthening leadership and education, and more. 🔗Read our report: bit.ly/4jdSiBO

GSD welcomed @HowardCatton, CEO of the @ICNurses, for a discussion on nursing leadership, workforce shortages and resilient health systems, moderated by Assist. Prof. Nikica Darabos, M.D., Ph.D. #GlobalHealth #NursingLeadership

At the @WHO @HRPresearch screening of Rosa – These Storms, ICN CEO @HowardCatton urged action on violence against nurses, whose protection and support too often lag behind the risks they face: "If we want to protect the right to health, we have to protect the rights of health workers and eliminate the gap between risk and protection."

🎉 Registrations are now open for the ICN Congress 2027! Join thousands of nurses from around the world in Taipei, 8-11 July 2027, to connect, learn, and lead change in health systems and communities. With more than 10 000 abstract submissions, the excitement is already building. ✨ ➡️ Secure your place today: bit.ly/4rMFcha 🔗 Learn more: bit.ly/4hD1xce #ICNCongress #ICN2027

A new global study published in @TheLancetPH has raised concerns that Community Health Workers could increasingly be used as a lower-cost substitute for registered nurses. Speaking to @NursingTimes about the findings, ICN CEO @HowardCatton stressed that Community Health Workers are "hugely valuable and important." However, he emphasized that they should complement registered nurses and other healthcare professionals, not replace them. 🔗 Read more: bit.ly/479uHe5