IFSW has been invited to work with The World Health Organisation (WHO) as they undertake a refocus that emphasizes engagement and relationships between action-orientated leaderful communities, populations and health authorities.
IFSW Secretary-General, Rory Truell said,
“We fully welcome working together with the WHO and others on this critically important and needed transformation of health policy and practice. The social work profession has significant experience in assisting health authorities and communities to work beyond the concept and practice of ‘providing services’ after the illness or harm has taken place. As social professionals, social workers often have helped health providers and community leaders forming new successful relationships where communities can identify their health priorities and actively work with government departments’ support to address the social determinants of health. WHO has recognised our expertise in this area along with the profession’s understanding of holistic health and wellbeing.”
The initial phase of this work begins by working together with others to develop a paper on engagement between communities, populations and public health authorities. That paper will be presented globally in November 2024 setting forth a much broader global conversation.
IFSW’s initial contribution will include organising a focus group of practitioners who have experience in building connections between communities and/or populations with public health services, as well as participating in the project’s advisory board. Social work practitioners with such experience who are interested in participating in the Focus Group please write directly to Rory Truell, by the 4th of June, 2024.
Beyond the publication of this paper, IFSW will continue to support the refocusing on the social determinants of health and is planning further events to gather and highlight the practice wisdom from differing social and cultural contexts across the world.