ICN and its Official Relationship with WHO

Unable to achieve its objective of peace and prevent World War II, the League of Nations ceased its activities following the war and was succeeded by the United Nations which was established on 24 October 1945 (UN 2007). The need for a single, intergovernmental health organisation within the United Nations framework in the post war period was critical to this objective. The World Health Organization (WHO) formally came into existence on 7 April 1948. (WHO 1997; ICN 2009)

In June 1948, in Geneva, following a meeting of the First World Health Assembly, ICN was elected into official relationship with WHO. This relationship conferred privileges and responsibilities on which nurses individually and in organised groups needed to dwell. Privileges of membership included ICN having the right to appoint a representative to participate, without right of vote, in WHO meetings or in committees and conferences convened under the authority of WHO. Membership meant ICN representatives had access to non-confidential documentation as authorised by the Director-General and the right to submit memoranda to the Director-General.

Responsibilities included ICN nurses’ association members working toward improved patient health while working on WHO selected programmes, including combating Malaria, Tuberculosis and Venereal Disease and the improvement of Maternal and Child Health. Since the discovery of the insecticide, D.D.T, more emphasis was being placed on destruction of the mosquito rather than prevention of transmission of Malaria, and the advances and use of chemotherapy required less nursing care for Venereal Disease than in the past. However, Tuberculosis and Maternal and Child Care presented different challenges for nurses. Good team work was deemed essential by ICN in providing education programmes toward better hygiene, nutrition and social conditions for positive health, thus contributing towards WHO programmes. As ICN’s modest means could not contribute to all programmes, priority was given to nutrition and other relevant health related programmes. (Bridges 1948)

Involvement by ICN in the provision of education was demonstrated in 1949 by Gwen Buttery from ICN. She presented a paper on Tuberculosis Nursing in South Africa to the ICN Conference in Stockholm. Her paper highlighted that Tuberculosis eradication was far from realised in South Africa, where in 1948, 11,745 persons had died from the disease. She said the need to address issues such as malnutrition, overcrowding, prevention and sanatoria treatment as well as having more registered nurses in Sanatoria would help to reduce this death and morbidity rates. Non-attendance to hospitals and non-compliance with medication, mainly Streptomycin, were also contributory factors. (Buttery 1949)

ICN continued its involvement in WHO, attending the Second World Health Assembly that took place in Rome, in June 1949. Bridges, ICN’s Executive Secretary, and over 50 government delegations were in attendance. The agenda contained all the accepted priority activities of WHO. Bridges, in speaking to the Assembly, outlined the membership of ICN and its associated nurses association, which then totalled 350,000 nurses. She remarked that ICN’s objective was to ensure the highest standard of nursing services and of nursing education in the countries that were in membership and the attainment of such standards in countries that were not in membership at this time. (WHO 1949)

United Nations (2007). History of the United Nations, www.un.org/aboutun/unhistory/

World Health Organization (1997). Changes and Reform at WHO, World Health Organisation, Geneva.

International Council of Nurses (2009) Sixty Year of Collaboration: International Council of Nurses and the World Health Organization

Bridges D (1948) ICN elected into official relationship with the World Health Organisation, Meeting of First World Health Assembly, Geneva The ICN Bulletin (1948) Vol IV (3) Autumn Issue: 2-7

Buttery G. (1949) Tuberculosis Nursing in South Africa. International Nursing Bulletin (1949) Vol V (2) Summer Issue: 21-23

World Health Organization (1949) The Second Assembly of the WHO, Rome. Bridges, ICN Executive Secretary was in attendance. International Nursing Bulletin (1949) Vol V (2) Summer Issue: 26-27.

ICN and the United Nations Collaboration

In 1948, ICN received an invitation to participate in a United Nations Institute being held at the headquarters of the United Nations (UN) in New York. The purpose of the institute was to educate a group of educational leaders on the work of the UN and related agencies, to provide an opportunity to observe international leaders and to promote an understanding of the importance of international cooperation. ICN had, at that time, no official status with the UN but due to the interest of its representative, Frances Smith, the Council was welcomed and opportunity offered to confer on ICN’s application for membership of the UN and other agencies in which ICN had interest. Effie J. Taylor was then appointed ICN representative by the President to certain UN departments.

The Challenge of the United Nations had stressed the responsibility of education to youth and emphasised that the future policies of the world, of which the UN was the symbol, rested in the hands of young people and their teachers and of the need to blot from their consciousness the ravages of war. ICN signed the resolution to work for the project of One Day’s Pay from every nurse to be contributed to the UN Appeal for Children. ICN had hoped that nurses would be inspired to contribute so generously that their hearts would be opened to the alleviation of pain and want. This concept was carried throughout the world and international groups, including ICN, received the concept of supporting children with enthusiasm.

Following this meeting in New York, a meeting of the UN Advisory Committee was held in Geneva in which Monica Wuest, President of the Swiss Association of Graduate Nurses, represented ICN, and during which the non-governmental agencies present were told that the idea of the UN Appeal for Children had embraced the world and that workers in some countries had expressed the desire to work overtime for this appeal. Nurses from around the globe supported the appeal. It was further hoped that the International Children’s Emergency Fund would be able to continue its work after this specific UN Appeal for Children was over. One month later, in March 1948, approximately four million children were in receipt of a daily supplementary meal, based on special protective foods such as milk, meats, fats and cod-liver oil. (UN Advisory Committee 1948)

UN Advisory Committee (1948) United Nations Appeal for Children, Geneva. Miss Monica Wuest, President of the Swiss Association of Graduate Nurses represented the ICN. The ICN Bulletin (1948) Vol IV (1) Spring Issue: 4-7.