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WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY
by WONCA
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WONCA GRANTS ACCREDITATION TO CLINICAL MASTERS IN FM OF THE ARABIAN GULF UNIVERSITY
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The Arabian Gulf University (AGU), supported by the Bahrain Government and the Supreme Council of Health (SCH), successfully completed the two-year Clinical Masters in Family Medicine (CMFM). The programme has also been granted WONCA accreditation after meeting WONCA’s Global Standards for Postgraduate Family MedicineEducation.
Despite the pandemic, the curriculum was delivered to all 40 trainees, with effective face-toface clinical training in primary and secondary care. WONCA accreditation experts also conducted a three-day visit to evaluate the CMFM course against WONCA Global Standards for PostgraduateFamilyMedicine. The Arabian Gulf University launched the clinical Master's Programme in family medicine in April 2019. With the COVID-19 outbreak, the academic programme committee found ways to adapt the implementation process without compromising thelearningoutcomes. In 2021, Professor Afif Ben Salah, Chairman of Family and Community Medicine Department, at the Arabian Gulf University, reported the progress oftheprogrammeafterthefirstyearoftraining. “We have just successfully finished the first year of training and assessment. A time to reflect on progress against WONCA standards. As the academic committee evaluates the first-year experience further consultation from the WONCA experts is planned in May to prepare the ground for better performance and full accreditation in March 2022” .
Now, the second final year of the programme has beensuccessfullydeliveredandassessed. Itsaccreditationprocessinvolvedathree-dayvisit on-site that included meetings with staff and students and feedback discussions with the team. After the assessment, accreditation experts concluded that the Clinical Masters in Family Medicine met all WONCA Postgraduate standards, grantingaccreditationforfiveyears.
In her report, Professor Val Wass, WONCA Executive Honorary Treasurer and Member at Largestated:
“We congratulate Professor Afif Bin Salih and his extraordinarily committed team: Dr Basheer Makarem, Dr Fatima Habbash, Professor Mohamed Hary Shehta, and Zadok Chlif. Given the challenges of the pandemic, the successful launch, implementation, and graduation of the first cohort of the AGU Clinical Masters in Family Medicine (FM) are most impressive. ” OnbehalfoftheAccreditationCommitteeandthe Accreditation Experts, we would like to congratulate the Arabian Gulf University on achieving WONCA accreditation for the Clinical Masters in Family Medicine. We encourage you to continue developing your students skills and competencies, looking forward to reviewing the improvementontherecommendationsprovided.
F E A T U R E D S T O R I E S
WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2022
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F E A T U R E D S T O R I E S
WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2022
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With information of World Health Organization (WHO) WONCA joined the celebrations of World Mental Health Day 2022, an important date to re-kindle oureffortstoprotectandimprovementalhealth. Under the theme “Make mental health & wellbeing for all a global priority” , this year’s campaign represents a perfect opportunity for people with mental health conditions, advocates, governments, employers, employees and other stakeholders to come together to recognize progress in this field and to be vocal about what we need to do to ensure Mental Health & WellBeingbecomesaGlobalPriorityforall. “Many aspects of mental health have been challenged; and already before the pandemic in 2019 an estimated one in eight people globally were living with a mental disorder. At the same time, the services, skills and funding available for mental health remain in short supply, and fall far below what is needed, especially in low and middleincomecountries” .
According to the WHO, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a global crisis for mental health, fuelling short- and long-term stresses and undermining the mental health of millions. Estimates put the rise in both anxiety and depressivedisordersatmorethan25%duringthe first year of the pandemic. At the same time, mental health services have been severely disrupted and the treatment gap for mental healthconditionshaswidened. As family doctors, we join the call of the World Health Organization, to value, promote and protect, not only our patients mental health, but also the mental health of primary care professionals and healthcare workers around the globe. “We must strengthen mental health care so that the full spectrum of mental health needs is met through a community-based network of accessible, affordable and quality services and supports” Read the complete release on World Mental Health Day and discover this year’s campaign HERE
We invite you to discover our Working Party on Mental Health, chaired by Professor Christos Lionis.Thegroupaimstocontributetoeducation, research, and the latest mental health developments related to primary care. Findmore informationHERE.
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THE SPICE ROUTE MOVEMENT CELEBRATES WMHD WITH A WEBINAR
On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the Spice Route Movement, a young doctors movement from WONCA South Asia organised the Webinar “Make mental Health and Well-being a GlobalPriorityforAll” . The session, held on the 10 October 2022, was led by Dr Asitha Koshala from Sri Lanka, Dr Tabinda Ashfaq from Pakistan, and Dr Wangdi Norbu from Bhutan. Thewebinarfocusedonseveralkeypointsrelated to mental health y primary care, including the most common mental health problems among family physicians and health care workers, who frequently encounter burnout, depression, anxietyandothermentalhealthdisorders. “Depression is one of the huge challenges associated with this profession. Too many patients, high expectations, lack of work/life balance, administrative tasks, and the extreme work load causes stress in the medical field. We have a major role dealing with multiple issues at one time and that affects our mental health “ , notedDrAshfaq.
Find more information about the Spice Route MovementHERE.
