Abu Dhabi, 30 September 2021:  Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE’s largest healthcare network, and the Emirates Nursing Association, are set to host The Congress of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), later this year.

The International Council of Nurses has been the global voice of nursing since its inception in 1899. Today, ICN represents the interests of over 27 million nurses worldwide, with 130+ members, including the Emirates Nursing Association, and hosts a congress on a bi-annual basis.  

The three-day event will be held virtually from November 2 to November 4and aims to advance the nursing profession while promoting the wellbeing of nurses. The Congress is expected to be one of the largest nursing related events, with delegates from over 120 countries around the world, including 13 from the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region, expected to attend.

This year’s edition of the ICN will see an extensive scientific program with key notes from global leaders and policy makers, including Former Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon; The Right Honorable Helen Clark, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Co-Chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response; Her Royal Highness Princess Muna Al-Hussein of Jordan, the WHO Patron for Nursing and Midwifery in the Eastern Mediterranean Region; Registered nurse and United States Congresswoman Lauren Underwood; and Aysha Al Mahri, President of the Emirates Nursing Association and Group Chief Nursing Officer at SEHA.

During the three-day conference, a ‘virtual hub’ will move between the continents and time zones, offering participants a unique, state-of-the-art experience. Using a highly interactive platform, it will provide a vast array of content which includes plenary, main and concurrent sessions, e-poster displays, and symposia. Under the theme ‘Nursing Around the World’, the event will move across the different regions of the globe in a series of live and recorded events that will give nurses the opportunity to showcase their expertise and innovations.

Dr. Tarek Fathey, Group CEO, SEHA, said: “Nurses are the foundation of our network and represent the largest portion of our workforce. When patients return home after receiving treatment at a healthcare facility, one of the most prominent things they remember is the care and compassion they received from nurses. This is evident when we review SEHA’s patient satisfaction survey results, with nurses often being singled out for the impact that they leave on our patients. With that being said, we are honoured to host the ICN together with ENA to connect the nursing community around the world, to discuss best practice models and empower our nurses here in the region with abundant opportunities to learn from. This further enables us to enhance patient experience, with our nurses being on the forefront of a patient’s journey.”

 Aysha Al Mahri, President of the Emirates Nursing Association and Group CNO at SEHA and, said: “The Emirates Nursing Association and SEHA are proud to be working with the ICN to allow nurses from across to the global to connect with each other and contribute to this year’s Congress celebrations and its scientific program. I am confident that the UAE’s nurses and those from the wider region will greatly benefit from the event. It will be a showcase for everything the world’s nurses have done over the time of the pandemic, and a beacon for the future that we will live when it is finally over.”

Annette Kennedy, President of ICN, said: “The ICN is delighted to be working alongside our UAE colleagues in bringing this Congress to the world’s nurses. Right around the globe, nurses have been working tirelessly to bring health and comfort to a world embattled by the COVID-19 pandemic. I know that Congress will let nurses know that they are not alone and enable them to share in the experiences of their colleagues everywhere.”