Head of SEEHN Secretariat, Dr. Mira Jovanovski – Dasic, participated at the two-day workshop devoted to Pandemic Preparedness Planning, organized on 12 – 13 July in Sofia, Bulgaria by SECID SEEHN Regional Health Development Center (RHDC) on communicable diseases, with the support of CDC Atlanta and WHO. Around 40 epidemiologists, surveillance and laboratory professionals, Ministry personnel, emergency response and immunization team members and communication specialists took part at this event, which was the third and final part of the project. The workshops’ objectives were to assist participants in identifying gaps to support the pandemic plan revision, develop concrete steps to build capacities to fill those gaps, and provide results and information on the experience to support WHO work in updating global pandemic guidance and tools.  It provided the participants with the space and time to follow-up on the knowledge of performing SWOT analysis, pinpoint crucial gaps, and update the present strategy. Participants left the workshop with an assessment of their current pandemic preparedness plans’ potential and strength, as well as with the strategies for revision and capacity growth.

Around the world, on 12th of May, we celebrate Nurses and their vital role in the health of our health care systems.

Since 1974, we pay tribute to nurses’ incredible work, professionalism, selflessness, courage, strength, and perseverance and this has been highlighted more than ever by the hard times of the Covid-19 pandemic.

SEEHN would like to take this opportunity to express its gratitude for the tireless efforts of the nurses in the medical teams to protect the health of others. In the face of exhaustion, stress, and physical and emotional trauma, nurses have inspired confidence and hope for the future.

At the same time, SEEHN offers its deepest condolences to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight for the common good. These losses of the medical staff cannot be forgotten, and their memory must prevent a crisis of a similar magnitude from happening again.

“Invest in Nursing and respect the rights to secure global health”- the theme of this year`s celebration campaign is not only a justified call to action but a moral duty, which SEEHN firmly upholds!

Happy Nurses day!