9th annual meeting of the European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations (EFNNMA) and WHO, Copenhagen, Denmark, 17-18 March 2005.

• Auteur: Held, Penny

Midwifery and nursing representatives from 26 countries attended this EFNNMA meeting. The aim of the Forum is to contribute to improving health and quality of health care in Europe by exchange of information and policies between midwifery and nursing associations and WHO. The Forum sets consensus/policy statements and recommendations on midwifery/nursing related issues.

Sylvia Denton, Royal College of Nurses, UK, was elected as President of the Steering Committee and Marian van Huts, Royal Dutch Midwives Association, Vice-President. Karlene Davis, Royal College of Midwives, UK, is also on the Steering Committee: the other members are all nurses. The European Midwives Associations active in the Forum are fully aware how important it is to have midwife representatives at the Forum and in the Steering Committee and they would like to encourage all the European midwifery organisations to take an active role in the Forum.

Delegates heard a short resume of developments since the Munich Declaration of June 2000. The question of appropriate education for midwives and nurses was seen as the key to being able to exercise full professional potential. In many countries there is still limited involvement of midwives and nurses in general health decisions, and health care...