Havana - The 16th Pan-American Nursing Research Colloquium concludes Friday in Havana with the assistance of delegates from 21 countries after four scientific days, dedicated to improve the quality of care to patients.

The closing ceremony will include a panel on the expansion of the role of nursing in primary healthcare, in the presence of representatives of Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Canada, the United States, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, El Salvador, Uruguay, among other nations.

The time will be favorable so that Andrea Bauman, of the Canadian McMaster University, can develop the issue: 'Advanced practices in the context of the health system'.

Claudia Leija, representative of the Ministry of Health of Mexico, will talk about the programs for the development of advanced practice nursing in her country. Experts from Uruguay and Spain will also talk about the reality in their respective countries. In the context of the closing day, the winners of the Maricel Manfredi Prize, which have been granted since 1998, and the Roseni Rosangela de Sena Prize, which will be given for the first time, will be announced.

The Manfredi Prize is given to the author of the work with the most relevant and innovative issue and the Rosangela de Sena Prize is to the post-graduate student (masters or doctorate) with the best scientific research.

Cuba was chosen by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) to celebrate this event because it is a model on primary healthcare (PHC), Idalmis Infante, president of the organizing committee, said.

During the conclave, whose main issue is 'Contribution of nursing to achieve universal health', more than 800 papers have been presented in the modalities of keynote speeches, roundtable discussions and panels.

Prior to the event, about 18 international workshops were held at Havana's Conference Center, the main headquarters of the Colloquium, the Ibero-American Center for the Third Age (CITED) and the Frank País Hospital.

The colloquium is a biennial meeting of professional nursing in the region of the Americas that has spread to many parts of the world supported by PAHO and the PAHO-WHO Nursing and Midwifery Collaborating Centers, the organizers stated.