About the Centre
The Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at UTS was awarded World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre status in January 2008.
The WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development forms part of an international collaborative network which supports and undertakes projects in support of the World Health Organization's programmes at national, regional and international levels.
The Centre is one of only seven nursing and midwifery WHO Collaborating Centres in the Western Pacific Region. This region encompasses 37 countries including Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Pacific Islands, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, New Zealand and Australia.
The impetus and rationale for UTS: Nursing, Midwifery and Health becoming a designated WHO Collaborating Centre is two-fold:
- The Faculty's extensive history of regional work in human resources for health, education, regulation, policy and capacity building makes it well placed to carry out activities in support of WHO programmes; and
- The need for enhanced geographic coverage for health development in the WHO Western Pacific Region, specifically the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, was identified at the South Pacific Chief Nursing Officers' Alliance Meeting in the Cook Islands in 2004.
UTS: Nursing, Midwifery and Health is internationally recognised within the profession, academia and the health services for its research, education, consultancy and policy development.
It has an outstanding track record of supportive and productive working relationships with national and international health organisations. It is thus well placed to act as a hub for this regional work.