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Participants from East, Central and Southern AfricaThe Swaziland Nursing Council also receivedtechnical and financial assistance from thedevelopment partners’ i.e. International center forAIDS Care and treatment (ICAP), Human ResourceAlliance for Africa and JHPEIGO. These partnersassisted with uupdating of the SNC database andprinting of logbooks, Printing of CPD frameworks,reviewing of SNC strategic plan 2013-2018.PARTICIPANTSEighteen countries from the East, Central andSouthern Africa participated representing Ministriesof health, Schools of Nursing and Midwifery, NursingCouncils and Professional associations.SWAZILAND TEAMThe nursing and midwifery representatives fromSwaziland were: Ms Glory Msibi, Registrar of the,Swaziland Nursing Council, Mrs Gladys ThembisileKhumalo, Chief Nursing Officer at the Ministry ofHealth, Dr Ruth Mkhonta, Lecturer at the Universityof Swaziland and Mr Bheki Mamba, President of theSwaziland Nurse’s Association. The team forms a“QUAD”.REGULATION IMPROVEMENT GRANTSThere is an annual competitive process with externalpeer review whereby each country team submitsgrant proposals for financial support, to addressa nationally-identified regulation priority. The ARCinitiative is a four year initiative which started in2011. The grant is $10 000 per year. Swaziland wrotea proposal for the development and formalizationof the Continuing Professional Development (CPD)which is now a requirement for re-certification andlicensure renewal for all nurses practicing in Swaziland.Swaziland was among 5 countries awarded the nationalregulation improvement grant in 2011 for phase one andthese were Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles andSwaziland). Six countries have received small grants in2012 (Botswana, Kenya, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda,and Zimbabwe). The Summative Congress providedan opportunity for those countries to report on theirprogress.The CPD programme funded by ARC was launchedlast year 19 July, 2012. Since then, nurses are expectedto accumulate ten credits points in order to renew theirlicensure. The ARC project has significantly assisted theSwaziland Nursing Council which is a regulatory bodyfor nurses in carrying out its mandate of safeguardingthe health of the public by ensuring that the professionalsrendering the nursing services continuously improveand maintain their knowledge, skills and competenciesthat are legally and ethically acceptable.CONCLUSIONThe ARC project has improved in-country collaborationUNISWA News - October 2013 21