2014-2017 GAPFON® Summary Report

Sigma officially released its 2014-2017 summary report on the Global Advisory Panel on the Future of Nursing & Midwifery (GAPFON®). Representing the culmination of three years of Sigma-led efforts, the report synthesizes data on global healthcare challenges and priority professional issues gathered at high-level meetings in each of seven global regions. Sigma views the world’s 19.3 million nurses and midwives as uniquely positioned to spearhead collaboration among health professionals from every discipline, and launched GAPFON to give nurses and midwives a unified voice and vision for the future to advance global health, while simultaneously strengthening professional roles.

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What is GAPFON?

Sigma convened a core panel of visionary global nurse leaders to identify global health issues that will advance global health, specifically noting those related to a voice and vision for nursing and midwifery.

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Learn about the process, outcome, and impact of GAPFON. Download the infographic » 

What is GAPFON Infographic

Who is GAPFON?

The core panel members, independent of the organizations they serve, are some of the world’s most prominent nursing and midwifery leaders.

View the Global Panelist list »

Why GAPFON?

The purpose of GAPFON is to establish a voice and vision for the future of nursing and midwifery that will advance global health while simultaneously strengthening professional roles.

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The Great GAPFON Challenge for Sigma Chapters

The Great GAPFON Challenge was designed to recognize the creativity and contributions made by chapters that have developed and launched programs, projects, or activities that address the GAPFON strategies. Chapters were invited to submit nominations with the details of their completed program, project, or activity that meet this criterion. 

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Congratulations to the Great GAPFON Challenge awardees!

  • Alpha Iota (University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States)
    • Alpha Iota Chapter has underwritten educational programming for students and faculty on intimate partner violence/domestic violence and the nursing role in addressing intimate partner violence/domestic violence (including bedside interventions and nurse-led technological innovations). The chapter has also advanced collaborative, community-based global health research on technological and clinical innovations to help reduce violence against women and children in both Ghana and Thailand.

  • Alpha Omega (Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, United States)
    • Alpha Omega Chapter’s program was Promoting Health in Haiti (PHH) Nurse Practitioner Program.The purpose of PHH is to create the first university-based faculty of nursing in Haiti under the aegis of Haiti State University. Once there is a cohort of Master’s-level prepared nurses who can teach in a university-based program, professional degrees can be conferred on graduating nursing students, much like their counterparts in the United States.

  • Gamma Phi (Rush University, Chicago, IL, United States)
    • Gamma Phi Chapter’s nomination was regarding the 6K Walk for Water. The purpose of the 6K Walk for Water was to raise awareness about and funding to combat the global water crisis. This is part of the GAPFON Practice Strategy: to develop and launch healthy lifestyle and resiliency campaigns in communities and use existing community-based services and programs to continue wellness promotion and disease prevention. This program also directly addresses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #6, to ensure access to water and sanitation for all.

GAPFON Implementation

With the initial work of GAPFON complete, attention now turns to collaboration between and among those organizations that have an interest in, and mission specific to, strategies within the areas of Leadership, Policy (including Regulation), Practice, Workforce, Education, and Research as they relate to global health and professional issues. (To learn more about these strategies, please see the GAPFON Summary Report linked above.)

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For more information, please contact gapfon@sigmanursing.org


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