[Livingstone, March 6] – The President of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), Dr José Luis Cobos Serrano, has called for stronger protection of health workers.
He also advocated a unified approach to nursing and midwifery standards across Africa to strengthen health systems and improve patient care.
He said attacks on hospitals, ambulances and health personnel were becoming increasingly alarming in some parts of the world, stressing that such acts not only destroyed infrastructure but also left vulnerable communities without access to life-saving care.
“Health care must be protected,” he said, urging governments and global actors to ensure strict adherence to international humanitarian law and safeguard medical personnel.
“Attacks on hospitals, ambulances and health personnel tear communities apart, increase preventable deaths and leave entire populations without care,” Dr Cobos Serrano stated.
He made the call while delivering a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Second Regional Conference of the African Nurses and Midwives Confederation (ANMC) in Livingstone under the theme: “Harmonizing Standards, Elevating Practice: A Unified Approach to Nursing and Midwifery Excellence in Africa.”
The conference brought together nursing and midwifery leaders, policymakers, research and academics, regulatory representatives and health professionals from across the African continent to discuss strategies, strengthen nursing leadership, professional development, regulations and healthcare delivery.
Dr Cobos Serrano said nurses and midwives remained the backbone of Africa’s health systems, providing essential care from urban hospitals to remote rural communities.
“Across Africa, nurses and midwives carry the weight of communities on their shoulders every day, delivering care with courage and compassion,” he said.
He said harmonising standards of education, practice and leadership across the continent would be critical to improving healthcare quality and enabling nurses to practice effectively across borders.
“A unified approach makes it easier for nurses to learn, specialize and lead. It strengthens our collective voice in policy spaces and ensures excellence becomes the expectation rather than the exception”.
Dr Cobos Serrano said
Dr Cobos Serrano said, the Organizational Development of National Nursing Associations programme had strengthened 23 African national nursing associations, helping them build stronger governance systems, leadership structures and professional development pathways.
The ICN President emphasised that strengthening nursing leadership and harmonizing professional standards would play a crucial role in transforming healthcare delivery across Africa.
“Africa’s nurses and midwives deserve the tools, recognition and opportunities to lead health transformation,” he said.
Dr Cobos Serrano urged African nursing organisations to deepen collaboration and solidarity to ensure that the continent’s health workforce was better equipped to meet current and future health challenges.
“When we empower nurses, we strengthen not only the profession but the entire health system and the future of healthcare,” he said.
Edited by Linda Naa Deide Aryeetey | Health editor
