International Council of Nurses applauds appointment of top nurse to Egyptian Senate

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is delighted by the news that His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El Sissi of Egypt has appointed Dr Kawther Mahmoud, head of the Egyptian Nurses Syndicate, as a member of the Egyptian Senate.

President of the Nurses Syndicate, Assistant Undersecretary for Nursing and head of the Central Department for Nursing in Egypt, Dr. Kawther Mahmoud will resume her duties in the Senate next month.

Dr Mahmoud said:

"Given the interest of political leaders around the world in nursing and the interest of His Excellency the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Egyptian nursing as a line of defense for the health of the Egyptian citizen and the moral interest of his Excellency in them, [their achievements] since the January 2011 revolution and their volunteering to work in field hospitals and the efforts they have made to confront the Coronavirus crisis…His Excellency the President of the Republic has honoured 300,000 Egyptian nurses in my personal and optional capacity for a nursing employee in Egypt and my appointment in the Egyptian Senate, which is the first event of its kind in the history of Egyptian nursing. "

Howard Catton, ICN’s Chief Executive Officer, welcomed the news, saying,

“This is excellent news for nursing in Egypt and the region, particularly in the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. The appointment of Dr Mahmoud is critical to achieving health goals and improving access and outcomes of healthcare, especially during the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.”

The Egyptian Nurses Syndicate has been a member of ICN, a federation of national nursing associations across the world, since 1961.

ICN advocates for nursing leadership at all levels and particularly supports the appointment of nurses to influential governmental positions in order to ensure nurses have a say in policy making and implementation at the national level.

ICN is calling on all governments to appoint strategic-level Government Chief Nursing Officers (GCNOs) with the authority to play a vital role in planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating health policies and health systems. Read more here.

Download the communique here