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Because of the close link between all medical sections, the nurses attending the seminar were not simply those based in the district health centres but also those who work on the hospital wards.

The workshop was held as one of the activities to mark International Nurses’ Day which falls on Monday and whose theme this year is Delivering quality, serving communities: nurses leading primary health care.

The principal secretary for health and social development, Anne Lafortune, said there have been continuous improvements in primary health care, so much so that Seychelles has achieved most of the Millennium Development Goals – guidelines for improving the standards of health in the African region that should be attained by 2015.

Mrs Lafortune added that the success Seychelles has had in attaining these goals is largely due to the contribution nurses have made to the health system.

The workshop was organised by the Nurses Association of Seychelles (Nars), whose president, Marie-Antoinette Hoareau, said in a speech that nurses as the principal providers of primary health care are also concerned with other factors that can cause ill health, such as social environment and gender.

Nurses taking part talked about their different approaches as well as projects that have been carried out to improve the primary care services on offer.

The nurse in charge of the Baie Lazare clinic, Brenda King, gave the audience an account of how she used the help of all those involved in the community to promote a better relationship between local residents and the staff of the health centre.

Mrs King said she planned activities, such as taking the HIV test, on days when there were recreational activities planned at the district administration office, as these attracted large crowds.

As nurses are the first point of contact the public have when they are ill, Mrs Lafortune said the government is doing its best to ensure nurses are properly qualified.

Ms Hoareau added that the recommendations the nurses made at the end of the workshop will be compiled and sent to the Ministry of Health and Social Development for consideration.

She said all these steps will help to improve the primary health care service in Seychelles.