International Symposium Explores Role of Nursing in Supporting Displaced Populations in Greece and Armenia
On November 21, 2024, Columbia University School of Nursing's Center for Healthcare Delivery Research and Innovation (HDRI) and Columbia Global Center Athens hosted a symposium, Advancing the Nursing Workforce in Armenia and Greece as Advocates for Displaced Populations’ Care. The symposium brought together experts to explore the crucial role of the nursing workforce in addressing the needs of displaced populations in these countries. The event was held in collaboration with the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and the American University of Armenia (AUA).
The last two decades have seen a dramatic rise in the number of displaced persons worldwide. Greece and Armenia have been particularly affected, with Greece hosting around 130,000 displaced people and Armenia taking in 120,000 in 2023 alone. This influx has put tremendous pressure on healthcare systems, with displaced persons facing challenges in accessing care, including limited access to primary and mental health services, legal obstacles, language barriers, overuse of emergency services, and discrimination.
Nurses, often the first clinicians to interact with displaced people, are uniquely positioned to help address their healthcare needs. Yet, in Armenia, Greece, and many other countries, nurses are often underutilized. They face limited resources, hierarchical healthcare systems, and poor working conditions that limit their capacity to effectively care for the growing displaced population. Made possible by the Columbia University President’s Global Innovation Fund Award, the symposium provided an invaluable platform for exploring the healthcare challenges in Greece and Armenia and underscoring the nursing workforce's potential to fill critical gaps in care for displaced populations. Over a dozen experts in the areas of nursing, the health workforce, and the care of displaced populations presented to over 200 attendees from the United States, Greece, Armenia, and other countries. Lusine Poghosyan, PhD, executive director of the Center for HDRI, and Stefanos Gandolfo, PhD, director of the Athens Global Center, offered welcome remarks. Among the distinguished speakers were Theoklis Zaoutis, MD, professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at NKUA, who spoke on the state of the Greek healthcare system; Howard Catton, MA, chief executive officer of the International Council of Nurses, who emphasized the global role of nursing in crisis care; Lusine Musheghyan, MPH, research lecturer at the AUA Turpanjian College of Health Sciences, who discussed strategies for strengthening Armenia’s nursing workforce in the context of displacement; and Athena Kalokairinou, PhD, professor in community nursing at NKUA, who offered recommendations for incorporating the care of displaced populations into nursing education.
The symposium was highly evaluated by the attendees. “The conference inspired me to explore innovative approaches in nursing and advocacy for displaced populations. It also broadened my perspective on cross-cultural strategies and collaboration, which I plan to integrate into my future work,” said one attendee. Another wrote: “Understanding the challenges faced by displaced populations has prompted me to explore how nursing professionals can be more actively involved in providing holistic care, both in clinical settings and within advocacy platforms.” The full agenda and speaker biographies showcase the global network of collaborators convened for this symposium. Building on the symposium’s success, a follow-up workshop will take place at NKUA on April 7-8, 2025, bringing together students, faculty, and community leaders to continue exploring solutions for supporting the nursing workforce in Greece and Armenia. This collaboration with NKUA has been facilitated by Pavlos Myriantheus, MD, professor of critical care and pulmonary medicine. Students and faculty from AUA and Columbia University will travel to Athens to design policy and practice recommendations about how to empower the nursing workforce to care for displaced populations in Armenia and Greece. These recommendations will be disseminated to the wider nursing and healthcare community, as well as international parties invested in the provision of care to displaced populations. To stay informed on the progress of this vital initiative, subscribe to the HDRI newsletter and join the conversation on advancing nursing care for displaced populations.