Health of the World

In 1960, representatives at the WHO Regional Committee meetings raised the urgent health issues in their countries at the time. Representatives from Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Panama emphasised the urgent need to prepare more public health nurses and auxiliary nursing personnel if public health programmes were to be expanded. The low salaries and working condition of nurses were also raised. Smallpox continued to be a major problem, and diarrhoeal diseases were the main cause of death in children aged from 1-4 years. Typhoid fever, Enteritis, and Gastro-enteritis continued to take a large toll on life. It was noted however that 30-60% reduction in diarrhoeal disease could be achieved through the provision of portable water supplies.

Infectious disease was also a major issue in Africa, although Kenya reported that Plague, Yellow fever, Smallpox and Malaria had been brought under some measure of control. More sustained and subtle public health conditions remaining were Tuberculosis and its associated poor sanitary and housing conditions. A clean safe water supply was needed.

The first seminar on nursing organised by the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of WHO (EMRO) took place in Lahore, Pakistan, in late 1960. The 50 delegates were joined by observers from other international organisations, including ICN. The objective of the meeting was to give nursing leaders in the region the opportunity to exchange ideas on the development of nursing, analyse the difficulties being experienced and explore measures to provide adequate nursing services for the region. The seminar examined the actual role of the nurse in the countries of the region and considered how professional organisations could promote the advance of nursing. The Minister for Health and Social Welfare stressed the importance of nursing, which he said was no more a subordinate profession: the relationship of the physician and the nurse had come to be of a complementary and reciprocal nature. (ICN 1961)

ICN (1961). WHO Seminar on Nursing Lahore, Pakistan on Nursing, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the WHO (EMRO), Lahore, Pakistan International Nursing Review (1961) 8 (1) P16-7, Jan/Feb)

ICN (1961). Extract from Dr. M. G. Candau, Director-General, WHO for World Health Day, April 7 International Nursing Review World Health Day 9(2)48)

Strides in Education Reform

One of the primary aims of ICN since its establishment has been education. ICN’s stance on education then and now remains: that generalised preparation in nursing should be required of all professional nurses. In 1957, ICN established its Education Division which aimed to: maintain an information centre; provide educational advice; and undertake research programmes with support from research staff and by holding education seminars for nurses. The first seminar was held in Sevres, France in November 1956, titled Planning Nursing Studies and the second held in Delhi, India in February 1960, titled Learning to investigate Nursing Problems. In 1959, a decision was made by the Committee to the effect that a guide or manual on Curriculum Planning was needed to supplement the ICN publications Basic Nursing Education and Principles and Practices of Nursing Education for the Future. (ICN 1960

ICN’s message in furthering education, welfare and research was carried by its executives to ICN national nurses’ associations. In 1961, Frances Beck, Director of the Nursing Services Division of ICN, visited the Malayan Trained Nurses Association Penang Branch to discuss the training and education of nurses. (ICN 1961). In 1962, two milestones were reached. Firstly, the University of Montreal, Canada created a Faculty of Nursing and Alice Girard, who would become ICN President in 1965, was appointed as its first Dean. The second milestone, an outstanding event in nursing education in India, related to the conferring of a Master in Nursing Degree by the University of Delhi, undertaken in the College of Nursing. (ICN 1962a)

In July 1962, the ICN General Secretary, Helen Nussbaum represented ICN at the inauguration of the Wilhelm-Polligkeit Institut and to congratulate the Agnes Karll Association on the opening of the new post-graduate nursing school. Nussbaum stated that in order to meet the increasing and complex demands being placed on nurses they needed to have a deeper and more comprehensive knowledge than they currently had, now possible through the opening of this new school of post-graduate studies. (ICN 1962b)

ICN (1960) “Curriculum Planning was needed to supplement the ICN publications Basic Nursing Education and Principles and Practices of Nursing Education for the future” International Nursing Review February:25.

ICN (1961). “Miss Frances Beck Director of the Nursing Services Division of ICN visited the Federation of Malaya visited Penang and Kuala Lumpur” International Nursing Review (1961) Vol 8(1) January/February: 19.

ICN (1962a). 1962: Faculty of Nursing, Montreal, Canada and Master in Nursing Degree, India International Nursing Review 9(2)11

ICN (1962b): Opening of Wilhelm-Polligkeit Institut, Frankfurt International Nursing Review (1962) 9(4)6-7.