Howard Catton

Nurse & CEO International Council of Nurses, Geneva

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

The @BBC has highlighted ICN's urgent warning: nurses on the frontlines in DRC and Uganda fear for their safety due to inadequate PPE to protect them from #Ebola.

📰 Read the full BBC article: https://t.co/1rVK4y0MFd
🔗 Read our statement: https://t.co/Gek5YbmbjC

ICN calls for urgent access to essential PPE, screening equipment, training, and risk and health insurance coverage.

Protect those who protect the world.

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

🎥 Watch ICN CEO @HowardCatton reflect on a powerful week at the World Health Assembly, where ICN played a central role in advancing nursing and global health priorities.

🌍 From high-level discussions to key advocacy moments, discover how we contributed to the agenda and why it matters.

📎Read more: https://t.co/XgFRKjTzV0
📰Explore our #WHA79 wrap-up: https://t.co/MpR5rk7ep0

[Howard Catton @HowardCatton]

DRC and Uganda #Nursing Associations reported a serious lack of PPE at the start of the outbreak and have continued to raise concerns in recent days. Latest @ICNurses statement here https://t.co/cGvC6KN8Us

[Catherine Fiankan-Bokonga @catfiankbok]

#Nurses @ICNurses @HowardCatton

[World Patients Alliance @WorldPatients]

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲.

𝐖𝐏𝐀’𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬’ 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 reflects on the role nurses play in patient care and why supporting the nursing workforce is essential to safer, more respectful, and more patient-centred healthcare.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠:
https://t.co/E04suHOJnb

#PatientsHatsOffToNurses #HeartOfHealthcare #Nurses #PatientSafety #WorldPatientsAlliance

@WHOAFRO
@WHO_Europe
@UN
@UNICEF
@WorldBankGroup
@OECD
@SigmaNursing
@ghc_global
@IHF_FIH
@ISQua
@TheIHI
@PLAN4ZERO
@GlobalFund
@NursingNow2020
@HWALLIANCE
@mentalhealth
@PHealthupdate
@HIMSS
@ICNurses
@HowardCatton
@JHUNursing
@NurseStandard
@AAN_Nursing
@YaleNursing
@AmbCareNursing
@DarlingtonUnion
@ANANursingWorld

[Howard Catton @HowardCatton]

Important loop hole closed at this years #WHA79 with care workers now also being covered by the global code on recruitment plus member states support proportionate coinvestment. As always words must translate to action so @ICNurses advocacy will continue.

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

🎥 ICN CEO Howard Catton, in an interview with SABC News, highlights a critical issue: that nurses have the right to move for better opportunities, but it is clear that countries not training their own nurses are saving billions of dollars in education costs which are not being paid to the countries they're recruiting from.

That message is highly relevant this week at hashtag#WHA79, where ICN is delivering a strong intervention calling for more ethical international recruitment, including co-investment, amplifying source countries’ voice, and investing in employment and retention of nurses in source countries. Urgent action is needed to address inequitable nurse migration and recruitment that deepens global inequalities and weakens already fragile systems.

🔗Read our hashtag#WHA79 statements: https://t.co/PYf7zQj2SO
🔗Explore our key messages: https://t.co/kZ9FxnCm2g

[Howard Catton @HowardCatton]

This is an excellent tool for #nurses, health workers and systems to use to calculate the carbon emissions of medical products, procedures and medicines. By measuring we can better manage the health carbon footprint and make sustainable choices.

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

🚀 ICN CEO @HowardCatton was proud to support the launch of @TheLancet MedZero: Health Data for Climate Action, a new global initiative that allows clinicians and health leaders to access carbon emissions data for thousands of health care products and procedures, from syringes and scalpels to chest X-rays and pharmaceuticals.

The launch, hosted by The Lancet, brought together global partners including the Philippines, University of Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Médecins Sans Frontières, highlighting the power of collaboration in driving climate-smart health care.

Learn about the Lancet MedZero here: https://t.co/8mujF6glu2

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

Frontline nurses in DRC and Uganda are facing dangerous PPE shortages as the Ebola outbreak grows. Many are scared for their safety because they lack even the most basic protective equipment.
ICN CEO @HowardCatton warns the world is once again failing the people who protect us. Nurses are delivering extraordinary, lifesaving care, but too often without the masks, face shields and testing kits they need: “If we fail to protect the nurses risking their lives, we fail everyone.”
Nurses need immediate access to PPE and support now.
🔗 Read the Nursing in Practice full article here: https://t.co/L4zUBXGU8I

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

ICN President @jlcobosserrano was one of the defining voices of the 12th Canary Islands Nursing Congress and the 14th Nursing Innovation Conference. In his powerful keynote, he shared a clear and inspiring vision for the future of nursing in Spain and globally, highlighting the essential role of innovation, the need for professional empowerment, and the importance of strong, united leadership to meet today’s challenges. His message set the tone for a congress centred on progress, collaboration, and the continuous improvement of care.

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

In response to the gravely concerning and escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, ICN warns that nurses and other frontline health workers are being put at serious risk and left fearful for their safety.

➡️ Read more: https://t.co/rbwTy5nF9L

[Howard Catton @HowardCatton]

Fantastic to hear both the pride and high regard the Minister has for #Filipino #nurses and commitment to support the profession @PNAInc1922 @mypnaa

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

ICN CEO @HowardCatton was pleased to welcome Dr. Teodoro J. Herbosa, Secretary of Health of the Republic of the Philippines, to ICN this week, highlighting the significant contribution Filipino nurses make to healthcare systems around the world.

#WHA79 #OurNursesOurFuture

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

The Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO), together with ICN, convened a listening session at ICN headquarters, bringing together more than 25 representatives from health NGOs working within the @UN system, along with ICN CEO @HowardCatton, CoNGO President @PeterPreziosi, and CoNGO Vice-President Cyril Ritchie.

The session explored the creation of a new NGO Committee on Health, with strong support expressed for taking the initiative forward.

#WHA79

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

📢 At #WHA79, Josephine Agyei, Chair of the ICN Alliance of Student & Early Career Nurses (#SECN) Steering Committee, emphasizes that the global health workforce is a global public good, and that collective action is essential to protect it.

🔗 Read our WHA79 statements: https://t.co/PYf7zQjAIm
🔗 Explore our key messages: https://t.co/kZ9FxnCTRO

#OurNursesOurFuture

[Howard Catton @HowardCatton]

As global health leaders #WHA79 have again this week been calling for adherence to international humanitarian law @ICNurses has also received new reports of attacks on health facilities in the Middle East and Ukraine. Accountability is essential to stop this escalation.

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

ICN CEO @HowardCatton underlines the critical role of the health workforce in protecting global health security in times of crisis during #WHA79.

🔗 Read more: https://t.co/j3GmQOuv4b
🔗 Explore our key messages: https://t.co/aewuKun2uD

#OurNursesOurFuture

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

ICN First Vice-President @SinevaRibeiro delivers a strong message during #WHA79: nursing empowerment is not optional, it is essential to achieving all global health targets by 2030.

🔗 Read more: https://t.co/GfPDUJbgTY
🔗 Explore our key messages: https://t.co/VWcoAue6K9

#OurNursesOurFuture

[Health Policy Watch @HealthPolicyW]

@WHO recorded 579 attacks on health care in Ukraine in 2025, causing deaths and injuries among patients and health workers.

New attacks have continued into 2026, intensifying concern at WHA79.

✍️@DishaShetty20
@WHOUkraine @MoH_Ukraine @GermanyUNGeneva
https://t.co/IbyFaAdywc

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

A powerful moment today as ICN hosted the Nurses’ Luncheon on the margins of #WHA79, bringing together nurse leaders and allies from across the globe to connect and engage in key global health discussions.

With 150+ attendees joining virtually, the impact reached far beyond the venue, showcasing the strength of the global nursing community.

Key participants included ICN President @jlcobosserrano, ICN 1st Vice-President @SinevaRibeiro, @WHO Chief Nursing Officer @AfuhaAmelia, ICN CEO @HowardCatton, ICN Board member T. Dileep Kumar, Taiwanese Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-Liang, ICN Senior Policy Advisors Erica Burton, RN, MPH, CGNC and Hoi Shan Fokeladeh, ICN Alliance of Student & Early Career Nurses Steering Committee Chair Josephine Agyei, and several other global health and nursing leaders and partners.

🔗 Read our #WHA79 statements: https://t.co/PYf7zQj2SO
🔗 Explore our key messages: https://t.co/kZ9FxnCm2g

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

📢 At #WHA79, ICN reaffirmed a clear message: health is the foundation of global security and peace.

In a statement delivered by Senior Policy Advisor Erica Burton, ICN strongly condemned all attacks on health care and called for urgent action to protect health workers, patients, and facilities.

🔗 Read our WHA79 statements: https://t.co/ax4JwPl685
🔗 Explore our key messages: https://t.co/VWcoAue6K9

#OurNursesOurFuture #NursesforPeace

[WHPA @WHPAlliance]

📡 Live from WHPA's side event at #WHA79: ICN President José Luis Cobos Serrano urges @WHO to keep health workforce issues central to its agenda 🩵

#HealthProfessionals
#InterprofessionalCollaboration
#EconomicsOfHealthForAll

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

Strengthening the bond between nurses and midwives strengthens health systems worldwide!
Great meeting between ICN President @jlcobosserrano, ICN CEO @HowardCatton and @world_midwives leadership at #WHA79, united in advancing inter‑professional collaboration for women, children and families. Together, we deliver safer, more accessible, people‑centred care.

[Howard Catton @HowardCatton]

We heard from the @ICNurses Association in #DRC today - there is insufficient PPE and healthworkers are fearful for their safety. When health systems are not prepared it’s not just patients lives that are on the line. #WHA79

[ICN - International Council of Nurses @ICNurses]

With health emergencies high on @WHO #WHA79 agenda, tragic news of nurse & health worker deaths from Ebola virus reinforces the urgent need for a protected, resilient, prepared health workforce.
@DrTedros