ICYMI: nurses take on regulator, First Nations health, good news from Scotland and Japan – plus cities stepping up for public health

A salutary warning from the United Kingdom over the human costs of United States trade aggression, Scotland’s success in reducing violence, how Japanese media are prioritising climate news, and grants to help preserve the stories of Stolen Generations and their descendants – these are just some of the topics covered this week.

As the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation takes on the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency over its adoption of a contested definition of antisemitism, grave fears are raised for a prominent Palestinian doctor, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, who has been detained by Israel since late 2024.

As always, we bring details of upcoming conferences and events likely to interest Croakey readers.

The quotable?

Every government should have a Chief Planetary Scientist. Because our planet rarely has a dedicated voice in the room where decisions are made. Belgium has just become the first country to take that step.”

Powerful nursing group takes on regulator

As Croakey reported recently, questions are being raised about how the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) came to adopt a contested definition of antisemitism that many believe will discourage health professionals from advocating for the rights of Palestinians.

The Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation (ANMF), which has more than 320,000 members registered under the national regulation and accreditation scheme administered by Ahpra, today issued a statement expressing serious concern about the move.

The ANMF called on the Board of Ahpra to:

Immediately suspend the endorsement and application of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism
Continue to rely upon existing statutory obligations, professional codes, standards and anti-discrimination laws when assessing allegations of racism, discrimination and antisemitism
Strengthen safeguards against vexatious, politically motivated or bad-faith notifications
Establish a transparent consultation process with stakeholders to identify other suitable processes to achieve the aim sought by Ahpra in implementing use of the IHRA definition.

The ANMF said it condemns all forms of racism, discrimination, hatred and bigotry, and strongly opposes antisemitism and all forms of racial or religious discrimination in the provision of healthcare.

It said the Ahpra statement was already causing unnecessary harm, confusion and concern for nurses and midwives across the country.

“The ANMF is particularly concerned that the IHRA definition may conflate legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism more broadly, a conflation the ANMF rejects, and that our members could face regulatory action in the event they are investigated for alleged antisemitism which in substance is valid criticism of the actions of the state of Israel.”

Grave concerns for Palestinian doctor

Meanwhile, human rights and medical groups are sounding the alarm about the condition of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, a prominent Palestinian paediatrician who is reportedly facing an imminent threat to his life due to torture and denial of adequate medical care while in Israeli detention.

Amnesty International USA issued an emergency appeal to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asking to him secure the immediate release of the doctor, who was the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, and has been detained without charge or trial since December 2024.

“Dr Hussam Abu Safiya’s lawyer reported that he was barely recognisable and on the verge of losing consciousness after being severely and repeatedly beaten at the hands of the Israeli Prison Service,” said Nadia Daar, Executive Director, Amnesty International USA.

“It is unconscionable that after providing life-saving care to his patients in the occupied Gaza Strip, he continues to be detained without any justification and subjected to physical and psychological abuse and prolonged solitary confinement.”