ICN Congress 2027 registration is open! 

Registration for the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress 2027, the world’s largest international gathering of nurses, is now open! Register on our Congress Website! The 31st ICN Congress will take place from 8–11 July 2027 in Taipei, hosted in partnership with the TWNA.  

The Congress theme, “Empowered Nurses: New Horizons Transforming Health and Care”, recognizes the leadership of nurses in shaping the future of health and care. Delegates will share evidence and experience, build connections across countries and specialties, and explore how nurses can lead change in health systems and communities. 

Registration includes access to all Congress sessions, networking opportunities, conference materials and resources, the exhibition area, lunch and coffee breaks, and the Opening Ceremony on 8 July. Eligible students may add access to the Student Assembly to their Congress registration. 

The Student Assembly, a transformative day-long event designed to equip student and early career nurses with the tools to drive change in global health and the nursing profession, takes place on 7 July, and connects student and early career nurses with each other and with global nurse leaders, enabling them to build networks and exchange ideas. 
 
We hope to see you there! 

SNOMED International Conference 

ICN's ICNP programme will be featured at the SNOMED International October 2026 conference in Sydney. The session will be live-streamed and recorded, opening it to nurses and NNA leaders worldwide. Registration is free at snomed-oct-2026.eventsairsite.com. Registered participants will receive access to the Zoom webinar link and can submit questions directly to the presenters. The recording will also be available on SNOMED International's YouTube channel following the event. This is an opportunity to engage directly with ICNP's place in the global clinical terminology infrastructure now shaping health data policy worldwide. 

 TWNA 42nd Annual Nursing Research Conference 

On 4-5 September, President José Luis Cobos Serrano participated in the TWNA 42nd Annual Nursing Research Conference in Taipei, where he delivered a keynote address on the International Nurses Day (IND) theme and joined a panel discussion at the symposium “From Bedside to Boardroom: Activating Nursing Power for Practice Innovation and Policy Impact.” 

During his visit, José Luis met with Chief Nursing Officer Dr Shwu-Feng Tsay, TWNA President Dr Mei-Nan Liao, and other nursing leaders and colleagues. The meetings provided an opportunity to explore areas of mutual interest and strengthen cooperation in support of nurses and health systems, themes that will continue to be advanced through ICN Congress 2027. 

East, Central and Southern Africa College of Nursing and Midwifery (ECSACONM) Biennial Scientific Conference 

José Luis attended the ECSACONM Biennial Scientific Conference held in Zanzibar, Tanzania, from 14-16 September. Under the theme of “Nurses and Midwives Sustaining Quality Healthcare in a Changing World, the conference attracted approximately 600 nurses and midwives from across the region. During the event, José Luis met with representatives of several national nursing associations, highlighting the role of ICN and reaffirming the organization’s commitment to continued collaboration and mutual growth.  

NP/APN Conference in Nashville 

More than 1,300 advanced practice nurses from over 70 countries gathered in Nashville for the International Council of Nurses (ICN) 14th Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nurse Network (NP/APN) Conference, the largest global gathering of advanced practice nurses convened by ICN, including by our Board Member representing North America and Caribbean, Sylvain Brousseau, our Director of Nursing Policy and Practice, David Stewart, and ICN CEO Howard Catton.  

The conference marks 25 years since the ICN NP/APN Network was founded and the opening ceremony celebrated the extraordinary power advanced nurses have to bring care to all people and build stronger health systems everywhere. We extend our thanks to Vanderbilt University as great partners for the conference! Read our stories on the Opening, closing, and key points from ICN CEO Howard Catton’s Keynote address. 

81st UN General Assembly side-event 

Following the UN General assembly, ICN has called for healthy ageing to receive greater attention in global health discussions, following a side event co-hosted with NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing during the 81st United Nations General Assembly. 

More than 100 nurses joined leaders from other professions and sectors to discuss how health workforces can work in multidisciplinary ways to meet the changing needs of older people while preparing for future pandemics.  

The event brought together representatives from key ICN partner organizations including NYU, AARP International, Direct Relief, Johnson & Johnson, SONSIEL with the valuable participation and support of long-term ICN partners TruMerit,  and Becton Dickinson (BD). Read the full story from our side event here, and watch Howard Catton’s wrap-up here!

World Patient Safety Day - WHPA: Strengthen the health workforce to improve patient safety 

On World Patient Safety Day, 17 September 2026, the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA) called on governments and health partners to urgently strengthen the health workforce and health systems to protect people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, oral diseases, and mental health conditions.  

Safe patient care depends on a safe, supported and adequately staffed health workforce. Sufficient staffing levels, decent working conditions and meaningful support for health professionals’ wellbeing are essential to reducing the risk of harm to both patients and those delivering care.  

Read our full story here! 

UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR) 

As world leaders met in New York on 25 September for the UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR), the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA) called on governments to act on their commitments to strengthen and invest in the health workforce before the next pandemic strikes.  

Represented in New York by leaders from the International Council of Nurses (ICN), including Josephine Agyei, the Chair of the Steering Committee of the ICN SECN Alliance, WHPA urged governments to recognize that pandemic preparedness starts with the workforce. Read the full story here! 

CNA Conference in Winnipeg 

ICN Board Member and Past President of the Canadian Nurses Association, Dr Sylvain Brousseau, delivered opening remarks at the CNA Conference 2026 in Winnipeg, highlighting nurses’ collective power to transform health and care. Recognizing CNA’s commitment to truth and reconciliation for Indigenous Peoples, he celebrated the diverse experience, perspectives and leadership across the profession. 

His message was clear: every nurse carries part of the solution. From identifying what needs to change to turning ideas into action, nurses’ strength lies in their collective expertise, leadership and willingness to work together across practice, education, policy, research and management. 

ICN Learning Hub 

In July, we launched the new ICN Learning Hub, making outstanding learning, evidence and good practice from the ICN Congress available to nurses around the world. Since then, we have had an amazing number of nurses registering for our growing library of courses!  

The Learning Hub launches with more than 100 carefully selected and edited videos from the ICN Congress 2025 in Helsinki, which brought together around 7 000 nurse leaders from across the world.  Many of the learning modules also offer ICNECs. Read the full story here! 

Global Initiative on AI for Health

Ai Tanimizu, Head of Nursing Workforce Transformation and Clinical Capability, represented the International Council of Nurses at the third meeting of the Global Initiative on AI for Health in Hangzhou, China, 16-18 September. It was ICN's first time taking part in the Initiative's annual meeting, which drew over 1 200 participants from more than 60 countries. Attending alongside colleagues from the Chinese Nursing Association, she visited hospitals and primary care sites using AI and spoke on AI in rehabilitation and nursing care. She argued that nurses, often the main users of these tools, should help shape them from early design through evaluation. 

New study for The Lancet Public Health 

Major new research published in the September 2026 edition of The Lancet Public Health has put a number on the global Community Health Worker workforce for the first time, estimating it at 7.6 million. While recognizing the essential contribution of Community Health Workers, the findings raise concerns that they may increasingly be used as a substitute for more highly educated and skilled registered nurses. 

The study also provides a new and starkly higher estimate of the global shortage of nurses and midwives. Researchers calculated that the world needs an additional 23.9 million nurses and midwives to achieve a score of 80 out of 100 on the Universal Health Coverage effective coverage index. Read our full story here! 

ANHE Latin America Conference 

Senior Policy Advisor Erica Burton spoke at the ANHE Latin America Conference. ANHE is a network of nurses interested in promoting healthy environments and health care, considering the risks generated by climate change and the need to contribute to ecosystem protection and planetary health. For the past five years, they have organized an academic exchange program on nursing and healthy environments in the form of a 60-hour course, with the participation of nurses and other professionals from primary health care institutions, hospitals, and universities. To date, they have trained more than 600 participants. This year’s theme was “Climate Emergencies from a Nursing Perspective: Preparedness, Response, and Resilience.” 

Health Worker Safety Working Group 

As a member of the JCI Global Patient Safety Leadership Council, Howard participated virtually in the Health Worker Safety Working Group meeting held in Washington on 29-30 September. His participation underscores ICN’s ongoing commitment to promoting safe working environments for health workers, advancing patient safety, and strengthening health systems worldwide. 

Video Messages 

Throughout the month, José Luis recorded a number of video messages to support nursing events and initiatives around the world, including: 

• A congratulatory message to the School of Nursing of the University of Chile on the occasion of its 120th anniversary. 

• A message to the Canadian Nurses Association National Conference held on 21-23 September in Winnipeg, Canada. 

• A message for the North Macedonian Nurses’ Association Congress held on 25 September in Ohrid. 

• Remarks for the Convening of the Global Commission for 21st Century Healthcare: Global Health System Redesign Lab at the National University of Singapore. 

• A message for the Opening Ceremony of the 29th Argentine Federal Nursing Conference on 29 September. 

• A video message marking the official launch of A Story with Transformative Meaning, published by the College of Nursing Professionals of Guatemala. 

AI Nurses Network Conference, University of Pennsylvania’s International Action Collaborative Symposium 

ICN CEO Howard Catton participated in the inaugural AI Nurses Network Conference in London and joined the University of Pennsylvania’s International Action Collaborative Symposium on health workforce shortages and patient safety. 

Global study: nursing shortages require workforce policy solutions, not recruitment campaigns alone 

According to a new evidence brief from the Global Nursing Workforce Centre (GNWC), a joint initiative of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and TruMerit®. Drawing on research from 42 countries, the brief, The Attractiveness of Nursing for Prospective and Current Nursing Students, finds that the factors influencing people to choose nursing are often the same ones that determine whether they stay. Working conditions, compensation, professional respect, career development opportunities, workplace experiences and the ability to provide quality care all shape nursing attractiveness to current nurses as well as potential recruits. Read the full story here! 

ICN SoWN report translated on the WHO website 

ICN and WHO’s joint report, the State of the World’s Nursing, has officially been published in additional languages on the World Health Organization’s website. The report provides updated data and evidence on the global nursing workforce. Mobilizing the advised sustainable long-term domestic and external investments in nursing can support the needed scale up of nursing education and employment to offset shortages, stem nurse under- and unemployment, improve working conditions and help manage international migration.   

76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa & 79th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Southeast Asia 

ICN, through our representatives, participated in both the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, and the 79th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Southeast Asia. Below you will be able to find the ICN delegation and the statements made during the committee meetings: 

Addis Ababa, Republic of Ethiopia, 25–28 August 2026 

Dr Danial Mangstu, President of the Ethiopian Nurses Association (ENA) – Head of Delegation 

Mr Meseret Y. Tizazu, Chief Executive Officer of the Ethiopian Nurses Association (ENA) – Delegate 

Dili, Timor-Leste, 7–10 September 2026 

Dr Domingos Soares, President of the East Timor Nurses Association 

Statements can be found here. 

ODENNA™ LatAm participants have successfully completed Domain 1: Strategic Planning & Governance and launched Domain 2: Operations and Capacity Building at a kick off meeting on 14 September. Before the transition, they took part in an interactive session on governance in practice, sharing real-world challenges and lessons learned across NNAs.   

In Domain 2, participants will strengthen organizational capacity through skills development, digital transformation, crisis communications, brand management, content strategy, and campaign design. We have also released our first ODENNA™ introductory video. 

Follow our social media channels to learn more about the programme and its progress.

GNLITM webinars and events  

Last month, the GNLI-A network hosted the webinar “Strengthening nurses’ managerial roles for resilient health systems in conflict and crisis settings.” We thank the speakers and participants for another successful session.    

Following the session, we invite webinar participants and members to help develop a new policy framework. The initiative will be led by Prof. Hamdia Ahmed, Dean of Hawler University and a GNLI-A Council Member. To express your interest, please contact Prof. Ahmed directly.   

If you would like to access the webinar materials or watch the recording, please visit the new GNLI-A Network webpage.   

Humanitarian Updates 

ICN continues to support nurses and communities affected by emergencies worldwide. In the DRC, its Ebola response project with ONIC has been successfully completed, strengthening nurses’ capacity in three high-risk health zones and receiving positive feedback from partners and WHO colleagues. In Nepal, we are working with the Nursing Association of Nepal on a new flood recovery project focused on psychosocial support, psychological first aid training, health camps and community recovery. In Venezuela, we continue to support nursing disaster-response capacity following the recent earthquake, with activities including mental health support, disaster-response training and community health outreach.