One year ago, we went public about the founding of GLANCE, the Global Alliance for Newborn Care for the first time. At the annual Parent Organisations Summit (POS), where EFCNI, the founding organisation of GLANCE, gathers with patient organisations from all around the world, we shared the news about this big endeavour. A lot has happened since then and we were delighted to present our supporters and fellow organisations, how much we were able to realise in regards to our primary objectives with GLANCE.
At the summit, we took the chance to introduce all participants to the latest milestones. First of all, we introduced the newly elected GLANCE Chair Committee. 20 international representatives from 14 countries and various cultural backgrounds, equipped with a great skillset, have been elected for the next 5 years. The Chair Committee is the advisory committee for GLANCE and will provide strategic input for the planning process and the activities of the GLANCE Working Groups. Additionally, an Advisory Board will support the Chair Committee as well as the GLANCE founding members.
We would like to thank everyone who has applied for these positions. It is inspiring to see how people are joining forces to contribute with their knowledge, experience, and time to push GLANCE and eventually newborn health forward.
For more information about the organisational structure of GLANCE, check the organisational overview on our website. You can also download our new information brochure to have all essential facts and information handy.
It was a special honour to welcome Chair Committee member Dr Takeshi Arimitsu from Keio University School of Medicine, Japan. In his presentation, he shared insights about how he and his NICU team in Tokyo took care of an extremely preterm born Baby, weighing less than 280 grams. One aspect of the care procedures applied, was family-centred developmental care – an approach that is not yet overall adopted throughout Japan. It was thrilling to get these first-hand impressions about achievements, challenges and chances in Japan. We very much hope to advance this connection in the future.
Another milestone of GLANCE in 2019 was the launch of the Global Call to Action for Newborn Care on World Prematurity Day. The Call to Action was released in 21 languages so far and can be downloaded as a poster or a Flyer to make it easy for everyone to set up their own advocacy campaign. At the POS, the participants, altogether from 35 international NGOs, put their signature on the Call to Action, giving a strong statement: we all support the 8 Call to Action demands and will work jointly for their implementation!
Download your copy of the Global Call to Action for Newborn Care here.
We would like to thank all participants for their contributions to this summit. With your support, we were able to work on upcoming projects and make GLANCE a pool of knowledge and expertise, parents, newborns, and health professionals will benefit from. Looking forward to seeing you again next year!