Reducing Travel-Related Communicable Disease Transmission

ICN Position:
Nurses, by virtue of their numbers, competencies and work settings, are uniquely positioned to assist governments and other agencies to plan, implement and evaluate programmes aimed at minimising travel-related communicable disease transmission.
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) supports the efforts of nurses and national nurses’ associations (NNAs) to:
§ Secure nursing representation on national bodies concerned with travel-related communicable diseases and with national disease outbreak alert and response.
§ Become involved in planning strategies for effective surveillance, early detection, and treatment of communicable diseases, particularly those that present international public health risk.
§ Alert nurses and the general public to the increased risk of communicable disease transmission due to international travel as well as to preventive measures, including immunisations.
§ Promote national awareness of legislation and quarantine regulations related to international health regulations and travel.
§ Promote the inclusion of relevant information in basic, post-basic and continuing education programmes.
§ Lobby to ensure that measures to control and prevent disease transmission shall be based on respect for the dignity and human rights of people.
Background:
Travel, particularly international travel, continues to increase at a rapid rate in terms of the numbers of travellers, the variety of age groups, socio-economic back-grounds and countries of origin. The risk of communicable disease transmission associated with population movement has significant implications for health care, as well as for socio-economic and political development.
Nurses are well placed to provide advice on risk reduction policy and programmes.
Adopted in 1999
Revised in 2006
Previously: Nurses’ responsibilities regarding the risk of disease transmission due to increased international travel

Related ICN Positions:

· Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)






The International Council of Nurses is a federation of more than 124 national nurses' associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide. Operated by nurses for nurses, ICN is the international voice of nursing and works to ensure quality care for all and sound health policies globally.


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