WONCA News April 2023

VOL 49 | NUMBER 3

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Y E A R S

NEWS

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY A Campaign Created by

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A P R I L

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WONCA PRESIDENT DR ANNA STAVDAL (NORWAY) EMAIL: PRESIDENT@WONCA.NET TWITTER: @ASTAVDAL PRESIDENT-ELECT ASSOC PROF KAREN FLEGG (AUSTRALIA) EXECUTIVE MEMBER AT LARGE & HONORARY TREASURER PROF VAL WASS (UK) EXECUTIVE MEMBER AT LARGE DR MARÍA PILAR ASTIER PEÑA (SPAIN) EXECUTIVE MEMBER AT LARGE PROF SHABIR MOOSA (SOUTH AFRICA) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA AFRICA DR DAN ABUBAKAR (NIGERIA) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA ASIA PACIFIC ASSOC PROF MOHAMMAD HUSNI JAMAL (MALAYSIA) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA EAST MEDITERRANEAN PROF TAGHREED MOHAMED FARAHAT (EGYPT)

WONCA & WHO NEWS

CONTENT FROM THE PRESIDENT

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WONCA SYDNEY HOC CHAIR: APRIL 2023

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WONCA CONFERENCES

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WONCA SYDNEY 2023 RMA 2023 WONCA EUROPE 2023

- BRUSSELS, BE

WONCA CIMF 2023

MONTEGUT SCHOLAR AWARD

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TAIWAN FAMILY MEDICINE RESEARCH AWARD 2023

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WONCA & WHO NEWS

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FIFTH GLOBAL FORUM ON HUMAN RESOURCES 2023

REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA EUROPE PROF SHLOMO VINKER (ISRAEL)

WONCA ENDORSES IAHPC ADVOCACY NOTE FOR PALLIATIVE CARE IN PANDEMIC TREATY

REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA IBEROAMERICANACIMF ADJ/PROF JACQUELINE PONZO (URUGUAY)

WHO UPCOMING WEBINARS ON HEALTH

REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA NORTH AMERICA DR JEFF MARKUNS (USA) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA SOUTH ASIA DR TARIQ AZIZ (PAKISTAN) YOUNG DOCTORS' REPRESENTATIVE DR SANKHA RANDENIKUMARA (SRI LANKA)

INDIGENOUS

“LET’S TALK PRIMARY HEALTH CARE”

WONCA REGIONS SOUTH ASIA REGION:

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WP & SIGS NEWS WORKING PARTY ON ENVIRONMENT

WONCA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER DR HARRIS LYGIDAKIS

WORKING PARTY ON MENTAL HEALTH

WONCA WORLD SECRETARIAT WORLD ORGANIZATION OF FAMILY DOCTORS AVENUE DES ARTS 7-8 1210 BRUSSELS BELGIUM

WORKING PARTY ON WOMEN AND FAMILY MEDICINE

EMAIL: SECRETARIAT@WONCA.NET PHONE: +32 (0) 2 329 00 75 WONCA EDITOR MARIA DOLORES ZAVALA EMAIL: EDITOR@WONCA.NET TRANSLATIONS DR JIE GU DR HUA YANG

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WORKING PARTY ON RESEARCH

WORKING PARTY ON MENTAL HEALTH & YDM WORKING PARTY ON EHEALTH & YDM COLLABORATIVE WEBINARS

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY 2023

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FEATURED STORIES

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WORLD HEALTH DAY WONCA ORGANISATIONAL EQUITY COMMITTEE: INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

ANNUAL REPORT ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES

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WONCA NEWS

FROM THE PRESIDENT A P R I L 2 0 2 3

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D O C T O R S

A colleague recently referred to WONCA’s young doctors as “the future of Family Medicine.” The young doctors’ irritation at what he had intended as praise surprised him. “We’re already active – today,” they objected. “We’re part of the team that’s building our profession now.”

May your hands always be busy May your feet always be swift May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift “Forever Young” by Bob Dylan

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Translate this content into your preferred language using the Google Translate feature on the WONCA website.

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I fully agree! Generations of young family doctors have participated in WONCA during our organization’s fifty years and have come of age along with us.

WONCA NEWS THE YDMS DEVELOP

The impressive history of the Young Doctors in WONCA deserves to be told: Over the last 20 years, Young Doctors Movements (YDMs) have been established in all of WONCA’s seven regions, contributing to the increase in the number of member organizations. For WONCA, ‘young doctors’ are those in their “first five years of practicing as a Family Doctor, OR in training as a Family Doctor, OR are medical students.” Anyone who meets these criteria is entitled to membership in YDMs and to attend WONCA conferences at reduced fees. WONCA members who don’t fit the definition are not eligible to join YDMs. Of course, there is no such exclusivity in the other direction: All members of WONCA, regardless of age, training status, or length of practice, are welcome to participate in WONCA governance and professional development activities.

THE YOUNG DOCTORS MOVEMENTS TAKE SHAPE The first YDM was established in 2004 in Europe – in Lisbon, Portugal, which explains the name its members chose initially: the Vasco da Gama Movement. By 2009, the Asia Pacific region had established their movement, Rajakumar. The next year, 2010, the South Asia and South America regions followed suit under the names, The Spice Route, and Waynakay. In 2013, our EMR and Africa regions established their Al-Razi, and AfriWon movements. In 2014, North America followed with their Polaris. A WONCAaffiliated network for “young rural doctors in training” called Rural Seeds was launched in 2017. Then, in 2022, the Vasco da Gama Movement became the European Young Doctors Movement.

It became clear that, for the voice of the young doctors to be heard in our global community, they needed to be represented on the Global Executive Board. After a trial period began in 2013, the decision was made to change the bylaws, assigning a permanent place on the Board to a representative of the Young Doctors in WONCA. One by one, six of the seven Regional WONCA Boards allocated a seat to a Young Doctors representative and changed their bylaws accordingly. The only exception is WONCA North America whose regulatory system differs from those of the other regions.

Each of the Young Doctors Movements has its own governance structure. They organize regional as well as global pre-conferences.

Increasingly, representatives of the YDMs are being included in Working Parties, and in Special Interest Groups.

Liaison arrangements among WONCA networks and the regional YDMs have been established since 2022. We’ve also seen young doctors step up to the podium as keynote speakers at both regional and global conferences.

CONTRIBUTIONS Even before the COVID 19 pandemic, young doctors began leading the way as early cyber tools adopters. They organized digital webinars, meetings, forums, and conferences, enabling greater linking of the far-flung global WONCA networks.

They had already recognized the possibilities for professional exchanges that a broad global network provides, and have gone on to make creative use of them. A good example is the Family Medicine 360º (FM360º). It was established in 2013 and described on their website as: …a global exchange program for those in Family Medicine/General Practice training and in the first five years of Family Medicine practice. It enables participants to spend up to four weeks visiting the Primary Health Care system of a different country, and includes host practices from all over the world. It is based on learning objectives, thus providing it with educational content.

And there are more. For example, ASPIRE: …a program of YDMs launched to enhance young Family Medicine doctors’ connections with the global Family Medicine community by means of educational workshops, conferences, and research, [increasing] involvement with the national and regional organizations, as well as WONCA World…

[This allows] young doctors to contribute to improvements of Primary Care in a global setting.

It’s easy to see why I’ve dedicated this entire Newsletter to the young doctors of WONCA! NOW, A ‘CORE VALUES’ REQUEST Each and every time I engage with people who are different from me, I’m reminded just how much diversity adds to a professional community. More than we may realize, we are products of the culture and the times in which we were raised. Our differing experiences create and reinforce differing perspectives and expectations, and, to some extent, different values. We share a mutual responsibility to recognize, acknowledge, and respect this diversity of assumptions and priorities, including in our professional life.

In the March WONCA Newsletter, I launched a global brainstorming process focused on the ‘Core Values of Family Medicine’. My request here is that the YDMs place that topic on the agenda when planning their meetings and conferences during this time.

We want our exchanges to make relevant and useful contributions towards our aim: developing and maintaining a common understanding of our field. To achieve that, all our voices must be heard. I am looking forward to the input that the Young Doctors in WONCA will bring to the process!

Please share your views and reflections.

Write to us at CoreValues@wonca.net.

Finally, I want to thank you, WONCA’s Young Doctors, for the effort you invest and the contributions you make toward building the Family Medicine of now. Yes, and also of the future. Ours is a joint venture for Family Doctors – young, old, and in-between.

D R

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A N N A S T A V D A L WONCA PRESIDENT

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The 2023 WONCA world conference organisation is progressing well, and we look forward to welcoming you to Sydney in October. Darling Harbour will be bright and sunny then and surrounds the conference activities with sea life museums, boat cruises, eateries, and nightlife nearby.

We are organizing some fabulous inter practice GP visits which delegates can attend. There will be a combination of approaches. The first is a group of delegates will attend a nominating GP practice in the Sydney suburbs with transport organized.

Some of these practices will be special interest practices in LGBTIQ and HIV medicine. Delegates will travel in groups of up to ten other GPs and will be able to visit two practices.

WONCA NEWS

Next month we will showcase some of our wonderful keynote speakers and their topics.

We have Dr Anna Stavdal, Professor Michael Kidd, Professor Enrique Falceto de Barros, Professor Sandra Eades, Professor Trish Greenhalgh, Professor Iona Heath, with a panel including Dr David Tipene-Leach, Dr Maria Neira and Associate Professor Viviana Martinez Bianchi. See the website for details as the program takes shape.

It will be my pleasure and honour to welcome you to the Sydney WONCA World Conference, a celebration of primary care and all your excellent work. Its going to be informative and fun!

Until next month!

A D J .

P R O F E S S O R K A R E N P R I C E

Chair of the HOC WONCA Sydney Immediate past president RACGP

The other opportunity is a bus trip of about two hours up into the Blue Mountains north of Sydney. This will be arranged on a minibus, and the group will visit several practices and gain some rural experience in a regional area of Australia. Transport will be arranged back for a full day of activities. This is being organised by Professor Charlotte Hespe and Associate Professor Rowena Ivers and is a great experience they usually share with medical students and trainee GPs. Charlotte and Rowena are on our RACGP NSW faculty council and will be a font of information regarding Australian General Practice.

For expressions of interest on the inter practice visits please email Wonca2023@racgp.org.au

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WONCA NEWS

JOIN US AT WONCA SYDNEY 2023 FOR A JOURNEY IN PRIMARY CARE Embark on an exciting journey to Sydney, Australia for the WONCA 2023 World Conference, proudly hosted by Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). The world has gone through a significant shift in the last few years and the role of primary care has never been more critical. Family doctors, GPs, and primary healthcare specialists have been at the forefront of this shift in many countries.

The WONCA Sydney World Conference 2023 offers the opportunity to connect and explore these experiences further.

Hear from keynote speakers, including Professor Michael Kidd AM, a renowned expert in primary care and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Principal Medical Advisor with the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, where he leads Australia’s national primary care response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Professors Kidd’s presentation will focus on primary care contributions through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WONCA 2023 conference will provide a unique opportunity to learn from the experiences of colleagues in different cultures and contexts. In addition to the conference, you'll have the chance to explore Sydney's rich cultural heritage, worldfamous landmarks, and natural wonders.

Take a scenic ferry ride across the harbour, explore the famous Sydney Opera House, or relax on Bondi Beach - there's something for everyone in this vibrant and cosmopolitan city.

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Join us in Sydney, Australia this October to be a part of an unforgettable experience.

The RACGP looks forward to welcoming you to WONCA Sydney 2023.

REGISTER NOW!

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WONCA NEWS

Planning to attend the Rural Medicine Australia 2023 (RMA23) conference in nipaluna (Hobart) in October? The early bird sale is on now, meaning it's the perfect time to register and save up to $260*. Plus, registering early is a great opportunity to purchase limited space tickets to popular events like the Presidents’ breakfast and RMA23 awards dinner.

Hosted by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA), RMA23 is set to be the event of the year, attracting a diverse, collaborative, and global community of students, doctors-in-training, educators, academics, and rural consultant specialists who are passionate about rural and remote medicine.

Not only will you hear from engaging industry experts, participate in workshops, and further enhance your clinical skills, but you’ll also network with some of the brightest minds in rural and remote medicine.

What are you waiting for? Register now and secure your ticket to this year’s must-attend event while the early bird sale is on.

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WONCA NEWS

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WONCA NEWS

28TH WONCA EUROPE CONFERENCE 7 - 10 JUN 2023, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

The 28th WONCA Europe conference will give you chance to discuss and implement positive change in primary care in Europe.

This year the conference is taking place in Brussels. As one of the largest conferences in the field of family medicine and primary care, it is set to bring together healthcare professionals, policymakers, and researchers from all around Europe and beyond.

With a theme of "Making choices in primary care", the conference promises to be a platform for exchanging knowledge, sharing best practices, and fostering collaborations in the field of primary care.

The conference will feature a diverse program with a wide range of scientific sessions, workshops, and plenary lectures, covering various topics related to family medicine and primary care.

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In addition to the scientific program, the conference will also offer networking opportunities, allowing participants to connect, engage in discussions, and build meaningful relationships.

See you soon in Brussels!

REGISTER NOW!

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WONCA NEWS

WONCA IBEROMAERICANA - CIMF

VIII REGIONAL CONGRESS "Family and Community Medicine, Key to a new Care Model"

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WONCA NEWS

MONTEGUT S C H O L A R

A W A R D

SUPPORTED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD OF FAMILY MEDICINE FOUNDATION

We are pleased to announce that the application for the Montegut Global Scholar Program (MGSP), sponsored by the American Board of Family Medicine Foundation, is now open!

The Montegut Global Scholars Program (MGSP) was established by the American Board of Family Medicine Foundation (ABFMF) in 2010. The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). The ABFM-F is a supporting organisation of the ABFM. Its primary mission is to support the ABFM’s research and scholarly activities.

A PROGRAM FOR WONCA REGIONAL MEETING ATTENDANCE. The MGSP was established to foster international education, research, and collaboration in the specialty of family medicine. It will support the attendance of family physicians from Africa, Asia Pacific, East Mediterranean, Europe Iberoamericana, North America, and South Asia Regions of the international organization of family physicians (WONCA) to any WONCA regional conference of 2022.

For further information on the MGSP click here.

ALAIN MONTEGUT MD The Montegut Global Scholars Program (MGSP) was established by the ABFM-F in April 2010. It was named in honor of Alain Montegut, M.D., a member of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) from 2005-2010 and whose career has been devoted to developing high quality family medicine practice internationally, especially in underserved and/or undeveloped countries.

WONCA REGIONS’ CONTACTS WONCA Africa PresidentAFRICA@wonca.net WONCA Asia Pacific Reg.PresidentAPR@wonca.net WONCA East Mediterranean PresidentEMR@wonca.net WONCA Europe SecretariatEurope@wonca.net WONCA Iberoamericana-CIMF president.cimf@wonca.net

APPLICATION PROCESS

WONCA North America PresidentNAmerica@wonca.net

Interested candidates must fill out the MGSP Application and send it to their respective WONCA Region.

WONCA South Asia PresidentSAR@wonca.net

The application deadline is Friday 19 May 2023 at 17:00 UTC. No applications will be accepted after the deadline.

Applications will be reviewed by the MGSP Regional Committees and the selected regional candidates will be shared with ABFM for final approval of the Scholarship winners.

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FIND MORE INFORMATION HERE

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A P P L I C A T I O N S

TAIWAN FAMILY MEDICINE RESEARCH AWARD 2023 The Taiwan Family Medicine Research Award (TFMRA) was established by the Chinese Taipei Association of Family Medicine (CTAFM) in 2008. It is to support travel expense for three junior family physicians to attend each WONCA World Conference. The purpose of TFMRA was to encourage junior family physicians to conduct research in the specialty field of family medicine.

3. No more than one applicant from each WONCA Member Organisation.

4. The applicant should submit a full paper that is unpublished and unpresented elsewhere.

5. The submitted paper should have received no funding from any resources or award.

THE AWARD

6. The award paper should be presented at the WONCA World Conference 2023.

The TFMRA is a prize of USD 1,500 to each young family physicians for the excellence of their research.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

CTAFM will give a total of USD 4,500 to junior family physicians for them to attend the WONCA World Conference in Sydney, Australia. Three junior family physicians will be chosen by the selection committee.

Winners should attend the WONCA World Conference 2023 in person or by an officially approved representative by the selection committee to receive the award from the President of the Chinese Taipei Association of Family Medicine. *At least one winner should be from the Asia Pacific region.

1. Relevance of the research topic to the family medicine of the country where the research was conducted.

2. The originality of the article and compliance to the codes of research ethics.

3. Rigor of the research methodology.

4. Contribution of the research to clinical practice.

5. Quality of English writing including but not limited to abstract, introduction/background, literature review, materials and methods, results, and discussion.

TO APPLY

ELIGIBILITY FOR APPLICANTS 1. The applicant must fulfill one of the following qualifications: a practicing family physi-cian; an attending physician at an academic institute, a resident in a formal training program, or a graduate student in the related specialty of family medicine.

Please send submissions, including a covering letter to Chinese Taipei Association of Family Medicine and a copy of a recent CV, by the closing date of Friday 19 May 2023 at 17:00 UTC to the WONCA Secretariat at secretariat@wonca.net.

2. The applicant should be under 40 years of age and in the first three years of their research career.

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FIFTH GLOBAL FORUM ON HUMAN RESOURCES 2023 The Fifth Global Forum on Human Resources for Health was successfully held from 3 to 5 April 2023, during World Health Worker Week.

Under the theme of "Protecting, safeguarding, and investing in the health and care workforce," the Forum marked over five years since the adoption of the Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030. It provided updates on the progress of its implementation and shared evidence and experiences on workforce development, along with opportunities for the post-COVID-19 era that will inform the implementation of the Working for Health 2022-2030 Action Plan. The Forum delved into the required policy solutions, investments, and multi-sectoral partnerships to address health and care workforce challenges and advance health systems towards universal health coverage and health security. The outcomes of the Forum will inform the United Nations General Assembly's High-Level Meeting on UHC in September 2023.

The Forum was intersectoral in nature, engaging participation from a diverse range of actors, including high-impact decisionmakers from the education, finance, gender, health, labour/employment, and migration sectors. The format of the Forum was hybrid, with in-person participation limited to speakers participating in the high-level roundtable dialogue. Parallel sessions and other learning and networking activities were held virtually and made available upon registration through a dedicated IT platform for the Forum. Simultaneous interpretation in English was provided for the high-level roundtables.

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WONCA experts participated multiple parallel sessions, icluding the "Rural Pathways: Advancing Equitable Access for Health Workers in Rural and Remote Areas" session, which featured distinguished speakers, including Dr. Özden Gökdemir, Chair of the WONCA Working Party on Environment, and Prof. Bruce Chater, Chair for the WONCA Working Party on Rural Practice. The session also had notable participation from researchers such as Delphin Kolie from the Maferinyah Research Centre in Guinea, Andrea Nove from the research and knowledge management consultancy Novametrics in the UK, and Prabir Chatterjee from the State Health Resource Centre Rapulr in India. The session was effectively moderated by Remco Van de Pas, a Public Health Doctor for the Centre of Planetary Health Policy in Germany.

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WONCA ENDORSES IAHPC ADVOCACY NOTE FOR PALLIATIVE CARE IN PANDEMIC TREATY WONCA supports and endorses the Advocacy note by the International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care (IAHPC) for the inclusion of palliative care language in the response treaty.

33. Deeply concerned by the gross inequities that hindered timely access to medical and other COVID-19 pandemic-related products, notably vaccines, oxygen supplies, personal protective equipment, diagnostics, therapeutics and internationally controlled essential medicines. P.6 (UNODC, WHO, INCB Joint Statements 2020 and 2021)

Suggestion: Add definition of “health services”: encompasses promotion, prevention, curative, rehabilitation and palliative https://www.who.int/teams/integratedhealth-services/about

ARTICLES RELATED

2) The word “suffering” appears nowhere. We suggest where it can be inserted.

35. Emphasizing that, in order to make health for all a reality, individuals and communities need: equitable access to high quality health services, namely promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care, without financial hardship; well-trained, skilled health workers providing quality, people-centred care; and committed policymakers with adequate investment in health to achieve universal health coverage, p. 7

3) The word “rehabilitation” nowhere in the document

III. CHAPTER I DEFINITIONS AND USE OF TERMS

The following suggestions are proposed to be added to the Zero Draft of the Pandemic Treaty: I. GENERAL COMMENTS: 1) “Primary health care” is referenced twice, while UHC is mentioned 17 times. a. We suggest reinserting PHC as per textual suggestions below and including the WHO definition of PHC in the definitions Article.

appears

4) Treaty language with page numbers from the Zero Draft is copied and pasted below with suggested text changes highlighted in red.

II. PREAMBLE P. 4 28. Reiterating the need to work towards building and strengthening resilient health systems to advance universal health coverage, with primary health care as an integral component, as an essential foundation for effective pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery of health systems, and to adopt an equitable approach to prevention, preparedness, response and recovery activities, including to mitigate the risk that pandemics exacerbate existing inequities in serious health-related suffering, particularly among vulnerable populations.

Article 1. P.9 Suggestion: Define “primary health care” per WHO definition.

"PHC is a whole-of-society approach to health that aims at ensuring the highest possible level of health and well-being and their equitable distribution by focusing on people’s needs and as early as possible along the continuum from health promotion and disease prevention to treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care, and as close as feasible to people’s everyday environment."

Suggestion: Define “serious health-related suffering” per IAHPC definition “Suffering is health-related when it is associated with illness or injury of any kind.

Health related suffering is serious when it cannot be relieved without medical intervention and when it compromises physical, social, spiritual and/or emotional functioning.” http://pallipedia.org/serioushealth-related-suffering-shs/

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IV. Operational paragraphs

What Is the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB)?

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GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND RIGHTS Chapter II Article VI, P12 15. Universal health coverage – The WHO CA+ will be guided by the aim of achieving universal health coverage, for which strong and resilient health systems that integrate promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care, are of key importance, as a fundamental aspect of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through promoting health and wellbeing for all at all ages.

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Chapter VI, Article 19, Financing P25 (b) plan and provide adequate financial support in line with its national fiscal capacities for: (i) strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery of health systems; (ii) implementing its national plans, programmes and priorities; and (iii) strengthening health systems and progressive realization of universal health coverage, minimising out of pocket spending for patients and families.s

Chapter III Article VI P.13 Article 6 2. The WHO Global Pandemic Supply Chain and Logistics Network (the “Network”) is hereby established. Controlled essential medicines in all routinely used formularies must be included in planning and execution per UNODC, WHO, INCB Joint Statements 2020 and 2021 Chapter IV, Article 11. P.19 4 (a) continued provision of quality routine and essential health services during pandemics, including clinical and mental health care and immunization, with a focus on primary health care and community-level interventions, and management of the backlog of and waiting lists for the diagnosis and treatment of, and interventions for, other illnesses, including rehabilitation, palliative care and care for patients with long-term effects from the pandemic disease.

video Credit: International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care (IAHPC) Find more information at the IAHPC website.

Chapter V, Article 16. Whole of Government Approach p. 22 The Parties recognize that pandemics begin and end in communities and are encouraged to adopt a whole-of-government and wholeof-society, primary health care approach, including to empower and ensure communities’ ownership of, and contribution to, community readiness and resilience for pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery of health systems

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WHO UPCOMING WEBINARS ON

INDIGENOUS HEALTH

WONCA encourages you to join our WHO colleagues on an important webinar this week on Indigenous health.

The event on "Indigenous Peoples’ Mental Health " will take place on 20 April from 14hr00 to 15h30 CET. This event is being organized by the GDER Department (Health Equity team), WHO/HQ Mental Health Department, and PAHO EGC Office. The event will explore possible interventions to address the root causes of Indigenous Peoples’ mental health problems, including through the full recognition and exercise of Indigenous Peoples’ collective rights and self-determination.

Closing remarks.

Geoffrey Roth, Vice-Chair for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Chairs: Devora Kestel, WHO Director, Mental Health and Substance Use.

PROGRAMME Opening remarks by the Chairs.

Presentation by Denise Kingi-Uluave, leader of LeVa – an indigenous mental health organisation from New Zealand (TBC).

Presentation by Amina H Salaton, psychiatric nurse in Kenya, Subcounty RH Coordinator speaking on “mental health in Kenya”.

Presentation by Aimée DuBois, PAHO national Consultant; and Enrique Cachiguango, medical doctor and traditional healer from Otavalo people speaking on “cultural adaptation of the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) in Ecuador”.

Presentation by Petter Stoor, University of Umea, Sweden, and coordinator of the Lávvuo - Research and education for Sámi Health speaking speaking on “suicide prevention and interventions among Sámi in Norway, Sweden and Finland”.

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20 April Time: 14h00 to 15h30 CET Virtual meeting Link: https://who.zoom.us/j/98608682378

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WONCA EXPERTS JOIN

“LET’S TALK PRIMARY HEALTH CARE” The WHO European Centre for Primary Health Care hosts a monthly talk show called Let’s Talk Primary Health Care. The show is targeted at policy-makers, influencers, implementers and health managers primarily in the WHO European Region.

These dynamic, conversation-style, actively moderated, 1-hour online events explore a given topic related to strengthening primary health care.

The panel typically includes 1 moderator and up to 4 guests who are either primary health care experts or national/subnational decision-makers/implementers from Member States of the WHO European Region.

There has been a total of 11 shows which are available HERE.

The latest episode of "Lets Talk Primary Health Care" took place on Tuesday, March 7th, from. The session focused on the challenges facing primary healthcare and featured a panel of experts, including Dr María Pilar Astier-Peña, family doctor and WONCA Executive Member at Largewho shared her own experiences.

This is not the first time that WONCA experts have collaborated on these broadcasts.

WONCA Europe Past President, Prof Dr Mehmet Ungan was part of the first episode “Priority setting of PHC services during the pandemic”, which aired in April 2021.

The panel was moderated by Dr Melitta Jakab and Dr Joseph Figeras, and also included Dr Katherine Rouleau, the Global PHC lead for the Office of Health Systems Partnership at the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, and Dr. Kristina Zutielene, a family doctor and assistant professor at the Lithuanian University Hospital Kaunas Clinic in Lithuania.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL SESSION

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SOUTH ASIA REGION: APRIL 2023 Authors: Dr. Tariq Aziz, President WONCA South Asia Region (SAR) Dr. Hina Jawaid, Chair WONCA SAR Primary Care Research Network Dr. Ramakrishna Prasad, Editor WONCA SAR Journal WONCA WORKING PARTY ON WOMEN AND FAMILY MEDICINE(WWPWFM) SOUTH ASIA REGION (SAR) Authors: Dr Sharmeen Shiraz, General Practitioner in Sri Lanka & Secretary Spice Route YDM, Sri Lanka & Dr Hina Jawaid, Associate Professor & Head of Department Family Medicine at University of Health Lahore, Pakistan.

The Inaugural session took place on the 8th March at 2 – 3PM Pakistan standard time, 2:30 PM India & Sri Lanka, 2:45 PM Nepal, 3:00 PM Bangladesh & Bhutan standard time as scheduled.

Dr Hina Jawaid welcomed all participants and thanked all panelists for their valuable time.

Prof Karen Flegg, President Elect WONCA, congratulated all the participants including the gentlemen. She spoke about this special day as a day to celebrate Women/Doctors and leaders. She also emphasized on gender equality and hopes to see some of the faces on today’s session at Sydney WONCA Conference 2023.

Prof Amanda Howe Past Chair WWPWFM and Past President of WONCA, mentioned that she was familiarized with WONCA through the women working party. She is convinced that together as a working party we can do something in the future.

Prof Amanda Barnard, Past Chair of WWPWFM, was our next speaker and she was impressed to see so many young women.

She can definitely see a change in the working party as she was part of the early phase of this party and wishes the best in the future.

Dr Tariq Aziz, SAR President, also congratulated Dr Hina and all the panelists.

Dr Elizabeth Reji Chair of WWPWFM gave an elaborate presentation.

She congratulated every woman, a mother, a child, leader, trainer on this Women’s Day and mentioned that it is also a day to celebrate the advancement of technology which has brought such great individuals together on the forum today.

She delved into the rich history and background of the Wonca Working Party on Women and Family Medicine (WWPWFM).

She spoke that it is forums and sessions of this nature that help to connect, make great friends, advisers, mentors, and overtime brings about changes in oneself through learning from others and this helps with behavior towards patients.

She emphasized the importance of being a woman and the need to raise our voices to bring about change. Furthermore, she spoke about the inspiring vision of the Wonca Working Party on Women and Family Medicine (WWPWFM).

She then provided an overview of this year's vision, which includes the establishment of a Regional team and a Communication team.

She expressed her admiration for Dr. Hina, the recently appointed Regional Lead for South Asia, who successfully formed a team of 28 members from countries such as Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and India in just 10 days. She was also thrilled to learn that out of the 18 abstracts submitted for the upcoming Wonca Sydney conference in 2023, 8 were from the South Asia Region (SAR).

She got familiar with the WWPWFM SAR: Introduced the regional lead, communication rep, young doctor rep and national lead for each country. She officially announced the opening of the new chapter in the South Asia Region: The WWPWFM:SAR.

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Regional Lead: Dr Hina Jawaid Communication Lead: Dr Sharmeen Shiraz Young Dr Lead: Dr Gunjan Jha National leads: Bangladesh – Dr Paramita Karim Bhutan – Dr Kinley Bhutti India – Dr Srividhya Raghavendran Nepal – Dr Rajani Giri Pakistan – Dr Hina Jawaid Sri Lanka – Dr Dilini Illapperuma Baranage The session then ended with the introduction of the participants.

Dr Jyotika Gupta Dr Srividhya Raghavendran Dr Sharmeen Shiraz Dr Gunjan Jha Dr Naseem Basit Dr Dilini Illapperuma Baranage Dr Aruna Vinod Dr Saadia Mustafa Dr Serin Kuriakose Dr Akshaya Nagaraj Dr Kabita Batooja Dr Saba Gul Dr Zainab Hafeez Dr Zara Mohamed Dr Sankha Randenikumara Dr Gobith Ratnam Dr Marjorie Cross Dr Tehzeeb Zulfiqar

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WONCA NEWS

TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILY PHYSICIANS IN SAR

A training workshop was conducted for the MCGP trainees (Member of College Practitioners) on the 18th of March at the Family Planning Association (FPA) Sri Lanka.

Authors: Dr Srividhya Raghavendran, Family Physician and Head of Department Family Medicine, Bangalore Baptist Hospital, India, Dr Hina Jawaid Associate Professor & Head of Department of Family Medicine at University of Health Lahore, Pakistan

Resource person Dr Nuzrath Nazoordeen (Director FPA Sri Lanka) Dr Aysha Ziauddin (MRCOG,MRCGP)

1- Online sessions arranged by Primary Care Research Network SAR (a)- Community based Primary Care activities and promoting Basic Life Support at undergraduate level by Dr Abdul Jalil Khan on 17th Jan 2023 (b)- Community based Primary care- sharing experiences from South Punjab, Pakistan by Dr Muhammad Raza on 24th March 2023 2- Communication skills workshop for post-graduates enrolled in the Fellowship programme in Family Medicine was held on 17th March 2023 at St. John’s Medical College, India . This fellowship programme is a one-year distance education programme with 2 weeks of contact session for face-to face learning.

3. Training Workshop on Family Planning and Contraception

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Representatives Dr Dilini Illapperuma Baranage (Secretary College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka) Dr Sharmeen Shiraz ( Secretary Spice Route Young Doctor’s Movement Sri Lanka) A total of 30 participants were in attendance.

It commenced at 8 am and ended at 2pm and trainees got hands-on experience with the use of models to insert Intrauterine device and Implants.Paticipants were given a certificate at the end of the program.

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WONCA NEWS

WORKING PARTY ON THE ENVIRONMENT

STATEMENT TO PROTECT HEALTH

BY COMMITTING TO FOSSIL FUEL NON-PROLIFERATION AND CLIMATE ACTION The burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) has profound health impacts. It contributes to air pollution and is the major driver of climate change. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels has been estimated to contribute to approximately 1 in 5 deaths globally.

Climate change is already affecting health and remains the greatest global health threat of the 21st century. Our reliance on coal, oil and gas threatens lives, livelihoods, and the ability of the planet to sustain human wellbeing.

an end to all new coal, oil and gas exploration and production;

In 2019 WONCA declared aclimate emergency. However, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and global temperatures have continued to rise. Rising global temperatures are driving increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events and rapidly escalating health impacts.

Health practitioners globally must show leadership in joining this call.Therefore, the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA):

phase-out of existing production of fossil fuels in line with the 1.5C global climate goal; and a just transition that addresses the needs of individuals, communities and countries to move away from fossil fuel energy systems towards more diverse, resilient and inclusive economies powered by renewable energy.

1. Recognises that to have any chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C, there can be no new fossil fuel projects.

Limiting average global temperature rise to 1.5°C (2.7°F), compared to the pre-industrial era, is necessary to safeguard human health from potentially catastrophic climate change. To achieve this, the world will need to reduce GHG emissions by at least 6% annually between 2020 and 2030. Limiting heating to 1.5°C requires an end to the development of any new fossil fuel supply projects. Yet fossil fuel companies continue to develop new coal, oil and gas projects, and receive government subsidies. This undermines efforts by the global community to limit warming to 1.5°C and safeguard human health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for an end to fossil fuel subsidies and greater investment in clean energy as urgent public health interventions. WHO and leading health organisations around the world have endorsed a fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty that calls for:

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2. Recognises the morbidity and mortality caused by fossil fuel air pollution and the health benefits from transitioning to clean energy sources.

3. Endorses the call for a Fossil Fuel NonProliferation Treaty, including: nonproliferation of new coal, oil and gas developments; a phase out of existing fossil fuel production; and just support for individuals and communities impacted by the transition to renewable energy systems.

4. Calls for the removal of subsidies for fossil fuel developments that undermine human health.

5. Adopts sustainability as a core value in organisational operations, and in the delivery of healthcare around the world.

6. Invites WONCA Member Organisations to recommit to the actions suggested in the WONCA 2019 Climate Emergency statement.

7. Calls on all global health organisations, medical colleges, and medical schools to endorse the call for a Fossil Fuel NonProliferation Treaty ACCOMPANYING NOTES These have been developed to support those considering the adoption of this position statement.

GLOSSARY Fossil fuel is a term for coal, oil and natural gas, carbon rich fuels formed from the remains of plants and animals buried in the earth’s crust. When burned fossil fuels release greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse gases (GHG) are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. This drives global warming and changes to the world’s climate system that can be dangerous to human health (climate change). The main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N20) and fluorinated gases (as found in some anaesthetic gases and respiratory inhalers).

WONCA NEWS

Climate change impacts health in many different ways. Information on the health impacts can be found on the World Health Organization site with different language options.

The 1.5°C target is the goal of theParis Agreement, which was endorsed by 196 countries at the UN climate meeting COP21 in 2015. This goal was identified because beyond 1.5°C of warming the health and other impacts of climate change are expected to dramatically escalate. The Paris Agreement calls for countries to take meaningful climate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming. There is a fixed amount of GHG we can burn if we are to keep temperature rises within certain limits. This is known as the carbon budget. If human activities around the globe continue to produce CO2 at current rates, we will deplete the remaining carbon budget in a little more than 10 years. There is a 50% chance that we will exceed the 1.5°C target in the next 5 years.

Subsidies are an amount of money given to an industry or business to deliver a product.

Subsidies are usually given by governments and may be given in different forms (eg. direct payment or lower taxes). Globally, in 2020 subsidies were $5.9 trillion or 6.8% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Fossil fuel subsidies almost doubled in 2021, slowing progress towards climate goals and are expected to increase to 7.4% of GDP in 2025.

The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treatyis a campaign to create an agreement to stop fossil fuel exploration and expansion and phase out production in line with the Paris Agreement. It has been supported by the World Health Organisation, European Parliament, the Global Climate and Health Alliance and Healthcare Without Harm.

EXPLANATORY NOTES Fossil fuel proliferation negative health impacts

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has

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Emissions from fossil fuel combustion result in harmful air pollution. Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution attributed to fossil fuel combustion is estimated to be as high as 8.7 million deaths annually. Aside from fine particulates, the burning of fossil fuel results in a range of toxic pollutants including nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide. These are linked to a range of poor health outcomes including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, lung cancer, diabetes, premature births and cognitive decline.

Climate change and health impacts are well described. These include those arising from increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events (such as heatwaves, storms and floods), disruption to food systems, increases in vector borne diseases and mental health impacts. Furthermore,climate change impacts undermine many of the social determinants of health including reducing poverty, ensuring access to healthcare, ending hunger and achieving gender equality. Climate change worsens inequity and disproportionately impacts those already experiencing disadvantage and marginalisation.

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FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES AND EMISSION GAPS Globally,fossil fuel subsidies in 2020 were $5.9 trillion or 6.8 percent of GDP. They are expected to increase to 7.4% of GDP in 2025.

Subsidies are given to companies to deliver products. Fossil fuel subsidies encourage pollution (contributing to climate change and premature deaths from local air pollution), and are poorly targeted to support those with the greatest financial need. Removing subsidies and investing in renewable energy would promote more healthy, sustainable and equitable outcomes.

The Emissions Gap Reportmeasures the difference between countries' pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and the amount of emission reduction needed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C by the year 2100. If countries achieved their current pledges under the Paris Agreement, 2.5°C of warming is expected to occur by the end of the century.

HEALTHCARE SUSTAINABILITY AND OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT The healthcare sector contributes approximately 4.4% of total global carbon emissions or the equivalent emissions from 514 coal-fired power stations. Energy (primarily the combustion of fossil fuels) contributes more than half of healthcare’s climate footprint. Over 70% of health sector emissions are primarily derived from supply chains. This refers to the production, transport, and disposal of goods and services required to deliver healthcare (eg. medical devices, pharmaceuticals, food and hospital equipment). The healthcare sector has an opportunity to lead by example to reduce our GHG emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. We can do this by transitioning to lowcarbon models of care and embedding sustainability as a core value.

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WONCA NEWS

WORKING PARTY ON MENTAL HEALTH

FIRST MEETING OF MASTER FACULTY On March 13, 2023, the Master Faculty of the MDD Minds project convened for their inaugural meeting, where they were officially onboarded to guide the development, design, and implementation of the curriculum and content.

The members of the Master Faculty are specialists in Primary Mental Health Care and understand the particularities and challenges of the region where they practice.

The MDD Minds for Primary Care Project will require the development of a core curriculum and its adaptation to the different geographical regions where it will be implemented.

We were pleased to have experts from 9 countries who will provide their mentorship along this important journey.

Joined the meeting, specialist from Brazil, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Sri-Lanka, United Kingdom, and United States.

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Their involvement in the project is crucial to generate quality content that will make it possible to reach the goals of the project of improving the quality of care for patients suffering from major depressive disorders in Africa-Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.

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WORKING PARTY ON RESEARCH

CORE VALUE OF FAMILY MEDICINE & PRIMARY CARE LEARNING FROM AUSTRALIA, INDONESIA AND SINGAPORE AND THE NETHERLANDS Join the 3rd session of the WONCA WP Research Webinar "Core Value of Family Medicine and Primary Care" on April 24, 2023, at 10 AM CET. This session will delve into the core value of family medicine and primary care, with insights from experts in the field from Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Netherlands.

The distinguished speakers for this session include: Prof. Christine Phillips (Australia) Professor, Social Foundations of Medicine | ANU School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University Dr Trevino A. Pakasi, MS, PhD, Indonesia Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia Prof. Jose Maria Valderas Martinez, Singapore Prof. Medicine, Division of Family Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Head, Department of Family Medicine (DFM) and Director, Centre for Research in Health System Performance (CRiHSP), National University Health System: Singapore

The session will also feature as commentator, Prof. Amanda Howe, who served as the President of WONCA in 2018, and as the President of the Royal College of General Practitioners from 2019 to 2021.

Prof. Howe has a wealth of experience as a family doctor for 40 years in the UK and has held various leadership roles in the field of family medicine.

The webinar promises to be a thoughtprovoking discussion on the core value of family medicine and primary care, with perspectives from different countries and regions. It is a unique opportunity for healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers interested in family medicine and primary care to learn from esteemed experts in the field.

Don't miss this opportunity to join the WONCA WP Research Webinar and engage in stimulating discussions on the core value of family medicine and primary care.

Prof. Dr. Maria van den Muijsenbergh, Chair of the EFPC, Netherlands Professor of Health Disparities and personcentred integrated primary care. General Practitioner – huisarts, Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Primary and Community Care, the Netherlands

REGISTER NOW!

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WONCA NEWS

WORKING PARTY ON WOMEN AND FAMILY MEDICINE

SPREADING THE WINGS TO THE WONCA REGIONS Background: Wonca Working Party on Women and Family Medicine (WWPWFM) was established at the 16th International Conference of WONCA in Durban, South Africa in 2001 under the leadership of Prof.

Cheryl Levitt.The working party initially started as a Special Interest Group (SIG) in Australia in 1998, under the leadership of Prof. Marilyn McMurchie, with the agenda to promote female family doctors in WONCA. Other leaders who transformed this working party into its current shape are the following: Prof. Amanda Howe (2007- 09), Amanda Barnard (2009-13), Prof. Z. L. Dada (2013-16), Dr. Kate Anteyi (2016-18), Dr. Aileen RielEspina (2018-20), Dr. Noemi Mimi Doohan (2021-22) and other colleagues like Prof.

Lucy Candib and Dr. A.D Atai Omorutu.

The vision is to support /promote women doctors in WONCA to reach their full potential to contribute to patient care, especially women’s health, to education, training, research, mentorship, leadership and Wonca initiatives around the world. It is also meant to ensure equity and transparency in implementing Wonca policies, procedures at conferences and to identify key issues within Wonca for women.

We also aim at reducing the barriers faced by women and to highlight their special contributions.

The current objectives for this year are to rebuild the working party into the regions: To establish regional teams at the WONCA regions and a communication team for the working party.

LEAD OF THE REGIONAL WONCA WORKING PARTY OF WOMEN AND FAMILY MEDICINE Criteria and functions: Must be a family doctor.

Must be an active member of the working party.

Must be a member of the member organisation of the region or a direct member of WONCA. Term: Two years and can be extended for one more term. Max time is 4 years.

Will be accountable for the group.

No financial benefits.

Develop a Two-year work plan for the region.

Have a touch base with your members in the working party, at least a minimum of 4 times a year.

Attend regional meetings and preconferences conducted by the chair of the working party.

Know the number of members in your region.

Organize webinars & pre-conferences during the regional conferences and Ongoing activities.

Participate in writing Wonca news articles and world conferences.

Write six (6) monthly reports to the chair of the working party.

Steps taken to ensure gender balance and involvement in activities of WONCA regions.

Offering opportunity for new members of the group (new ideas, projects, portfolio etc).

A regional team of the WONCA Working Party on Women and Family Medicine (WWPWFM) should consist of at least the following members: Lead, communications representative, young doctors’ representative, and a country representative.

As per the WONCA world’s guidelines, a criterion was developed for the regional lead, communication rep, young doctor rep and country rep.

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COMMUNICATION REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REGIONAL WONCA WORKING PARTY OF WOMEN AND FAMILY MEDICINE Criteria and functions Must be a family doctor, Must be an active member of the working party.

Must be a member of the member organisation of the region or a direct member of WONCA. Term: Two years and can be extended for one more term. Max time is 4 years.

No financial benefits.

Will be accountable for the communication within the working party.

Will be member of the world WWPWFM communication group.

Attend regional meetings conducted by the chair of the working party.

Assist with communication within the regions and World.

Assist with improving the number of members in your region.

Assist with updating the WONCA portal and website.

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YOUNG DOCTOR’S REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REGIONAL WONCA WORKING PARTY OF WOMEN AND FAMILY MEDICINE Criteria and functions: Must be a Family Medicine registrar or Family Doctor with less than 5 years of experience.

Must be a member of wonca young doctor’s movement.

Must be an active member of the working party/member organisation of the region.

Term: Two years and can be extended for one more term. Max time is 4 years.

No financial benefits Will be accountable for the young doctor’s activities within the party and bring new ideas from a young doctor perspective.

WONCA NEWS

The above standards will enhance WONCA to identify women with potential expertise who can be developed into leadership roles to ensure equity. The working party humbly requests WONCA executives and WONCA regional presidents to assist us in achieving these objectives.

It will be highly appreciated if we will be supported in these objectives in all the WONCA regions.

Kind regards, ELIZABETH Reji Dr Elizabeth Reji Chair: WWPWFM

COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REGIONAL WONCA WORKING PARTY OF WOMEN AND FAMILY MEDICINE Criteria and functions: Must be a family doctor, Must be a member of the member organisation of the region or a direct member of WONCA. Must be an active member of the working party.

Term: Two years and can be extended for one more term. Max time is 4 years.

Will be accountable for the activities of the working party within the country.

No financial benefits.

Assist with the lead with regional activities within the working party.

Have meetings with women in your country during conferences and activities.

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WONCA NEWS

WORKING PARTY ON MENTAL HEALTH & YDM

INTEGRATING CARE LEADERSHIP & ADVOCACY PROGRAM Practice transformation requires systemic approaches. We need to persuade policymakers that primary care can deliver effective behavioural and mental health care, and so invest sufficient resource in infrastructure and capacity building. We also need to be mindful of the transferability of knowledge and skills across multiple geographies and health system delivery models.

The Integrating Care Leadership & Advocacy Program is an educational program delivered by the WONCA Working Party on Mental Health, in collaboration with The Farley Health Policy Centre in Colorado and the Columbia University. It is designed to equip motivated family doctors who wish to enable practice transformation that integrates behavioral health care into routine primary care practice.

Following the success of our pilot in 2020 , and to build the evidence for a grant application for a substantive five-year rolling program, we propose to implement a second project with an independent evaluation, to assess feasibility of recruitment and acceptability of revised content and delivery.

We are now looking for eight enthusiastic young family doctors, practising in low- or middle- income countries, to set up a virtual learning community to test our revised program.

OUR OFFER • An initial survey of participants, including the declaration of a particular behavioural/mental health issue that they want to address in their local situation, and a brief assessment of their level of knowledge in advocacy skills.

• Seven monthly 90-minute virtual meetings, with interval homework assignments requiring two to four hours of personal work by each learner.

• Mentoring by Faculty members for the project developed and undertaken by each learner in their own locality.

• e-versions of Gold & Green (eds): Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care; and Dowrick (ed): Global Primary Mental Health Care.

• A certificate of completion of the program carrying the WONCA seal and the marks of the FHPC at the University of Colorado (for those meeting 80% participation requirement).

• An honorarium of US$ 200.

OUR SELECTION CRITERIA We are looking for young family doctors (doctors who are in the first five years of family practice) who: • are identified through WONCA Young Doctors’ Movement and WONCA Working Party on Mental Health.

• are practising in low-or middle-income countries (LMICs): o NB: we will give priority to family doctors from LMICs not represented in the previous cohort (i.e. Ghana, Guyana, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Peru, Sri Lanka or Tunisia); nevertheless, applicants with outstanding qualifications from any of these countries will be considered.

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• can demonstrate working knowledge of and experience in behavioral health/primary mental health care; • can demonstrate leadership experience; and • are willing to commit (by letter of agreement) to the project from July 2023 through March 2024 to approximately six hours per month for nine months, plus participation in an imbedded program evaluation including interviews at mid-point and conclusion of program.

HOW TO APPLY Please send your curriculum vitae, together with a motivational letter explaining how you meet our selection criteria, to Christopher Dowrick on cfd@liverpool.ac.uk and to Sankha Randenikumara on youngdoctor@wonca.net Deadline for applications: Friday 19 May 2023.

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WONCA NEWS

WORKING PARTY ON eHEALTH & YDM COLLABORATIVE WEBINARS

In March 2023, Polaris and the WP on EHealth collaborated to develop a successful YDM Webinar on the role of digital health in Family Medicine.

This webinar included discussions on the rise of digital technology throughout the COVID19 Pandemic, its utilizations across different types of family medicine settings, the types of digital health/apps physicians can utilize, and a comparison of digital health use in various countries.

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This webinar would not have been possible without our panelists (Dr. Adel Ysky, Prof. Dr. Nick Guldemond, Dr. Na Wei Lun, Dr. Shakera Carroll), translators (Dr. Hew Sitt Yin, Dr. Chan Hiang Ngee, Dr. Brando Cantu), and our moderator (Nikita Pasricha).

Our webinar recording can be viewed here:

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WONCA NEWS

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY A Campaign Created by

World Family Doctor Day (WFDD), on 19 May, is a significant occasion to highlight the vital role and contribution of family doctors and primary care teams in healthcare systems worldwide. Since its declaration by WONCA in 2010, WFDD has become an annual celebration that recognizes the central role of Family Doctors in delivering personal, comprehensive, and continuous health care to patients.

This day is an excellent opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the progress made in family medicine and the exceptional contributions of primary care teams globally.

On 19 May, let's honour and appreciate the tireless efforts of family doctors and primary care teams in improving healthcare outcomes and creating healthier communities worldwide.

We are now thrilled to announce this year’s theme.

2023 THEME

FAMILY DOCTORS: THE HEART OF HEALTHCARE 30

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HEALTHCARE

Family doctors are often perceived as the heart of healthcare for several reasons:

Long-term relationship: Family doctors are typically the first point of contact for patients seeking medical care. They provide continuous and comprehensive care to patients throughout their lives, building long-term relationships with them. This allows them to understand their patients' medical history, lifestyle, and social circumstances, and offer personalized care and support.

Holistic approach: Family doctors take a holistic approach to healthcare, considering not just a patient's physical health, but also their emotional, social, and psychological well-being. They focus on preventive care, screening, and early detection of illnesses to help patients maintain good health and prevent chronic diseases.

Coordination of care: Family doctors serve as a central point of coordination for a patient's healthcare needs. They work with other healthcare providers, such as specialists and hospitals, to ensure that patients receive the best possible care and avoid duplication of services.

Advocacy and education: Family doctors are advocates for their patients, helping them navigate the healthcare system and access the resources they need. They also educate patients about their health, including how to manage chronic conditions, make healthy lifestyle choices, and prevent illness.

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Discover & Join our 2023 Campaign

CAMPAIGN PILLARS

WONCA NEWS

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY

Continuity of Care

Patient-Centred Care

Integrated Care

Community Engagement

Family doctors provide comprehensive and compassionate care to patients across the lifespan, from infants to elderly adults.

They play a crucial role in promoting health and preventing illness through regular check-ups, screenings, and lifestyle counselling.

Family doctors understand the importance of building strong relationships with their patients and are committed to providing empathetic care.

They are advocates for their patients and strive to ensure that their voices are heard and their health care needs are met.

Family doctors play a critical role in coordinating care across different settings, including hospitals, specialists, and other health care providers, working closely with other multidisciplinary teams to ensure that their patients receive timely and appropriate care.

Family doctors are advocates for their communities and work to address systemic barriers to accessing quality health care. They also are active promotors of health and wellness in their communities through education, outreach, and community partnerships.

FOLLOW OUR CHANNELS

WFDD NEW WEBSITE www.worldfamilydoctorday.org

WONCA WEBSITE www.globalfamilydoctor.com

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Get ready! Soon we will launch our toolkit with all the materials to join #WFDD2023

2023 HASHTAGS #WFDD2023 #WORLDFAMILYDOCTORDAY #THEHEARTOFHEALTHCARE

SUGGESTED MESSAGES (Coming Soon) GRAPHIC ASSETS (Coming Soon) Logos Social media banners Zoom backgrounds Campaign Frame GIFS

BE PART OF C re

A Campaign Created by d it : Ki mY u

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WONCA NEWS

WORLD HEALTH DAY World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7th to raise awareness about global health issues and promote healthier lifestyles. This year’s theme, "achieving Health For All" and marks the 75 anniversary of the World Health Organization. This year's campaign also calls for increased access to primary healthcare services and the reduction of health inequalities worldwide.

WONCA joined World Health Day as primary care is essential in achieving these goals!

Primary care is the first point of contact for patients seeking medical attention, and family doctors play a vital role in providing this service. They are uniquely positioned to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care that is tailored to individual needs, taking into account not only physical health but also psychological and social factors.

This approach is essential for promoting health equity, as it addresses the root causes of health disparities and ensures that all patients have access to quality care regardless of their socioeconomic status or geographic location.

This World Health Day, WONCA encourages governments, healthcare providers, and patients to prioritise primary care as a means of building a fairer, healthier world. By investing in primary care services and ensuring that they are accessible to all, we can improve health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and promote health equity.

Family doctors have a critical role to play in this effort, and their contributions should be recognized and supported. By working together, we can create a world where everyone has access to the care they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives.

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WONCA NEWS

INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION March 21 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It commemorates the 1960 Sharpville massacre in South Africa. Observed annually, it reminds us of the sacrifices made by our forbears and those fighting within hostile institutions and systems to dismantle and eradicate racism.

Today, it’s also a call to action to increase our efforts to fight racism. As the World Organization of Family Doctors, the world’s frontline primary care institution, we are committed to racial equity and the liberation of racialised people.

We challenge our colleagues, allies and our institutions to be bold in their commitments and move beyond tokenism. Let’s continue to assess our policies practices and particularly our individual biases.

Let’s use our power, influence and privilege to accelerate change and to continue to challenge the status quo.

WONCA Organisational Equity Committee

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WONCA NEWS

DISCOVER OUR

ANNUAL

REPORT

2022

This report is a comprehensive overview of the WONCA global community's collective achievements and highlights over the past year.

Together, we can continue to build a stronger global community!

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GO TO REPORT

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MENTAL HEALTH TOOLS FOR FAMILY PHYSICIANS IN A POST-COVID WORLD THE BESROUR CENTRE FOR GLOBAL FAMILY MEDICINE ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF THE LEARNING MODULE “MENTAL HEALTH TOOLS FOR FAMILY PHYSICIANS IN A POSTCOVID WORLD”

WHAT IS FM PIVOT? Discover the Besrour Centre for Global Family Medicine: FM Pivot Modules.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the largest and most rapid disruption to the practices and training of family physicians. It has revealed gaps in the capacity of our health care systems, but it has also led to a surge in resiliency, innovation, and gained experience as primary care providers and educators adapt to this new paradigm. This FM Pivot educational initiative has been developed by a team of global Besrour Centre partners to help family physicians and family medicine educators prepare for similar challenges in the future within their own contexts. Our module “Mental Health Tools for Family Physicians in a Post-COVID World” is now available for free. This online module aims to apply practical knowledge to improve the quality and efficiency of care during the pandemic.

Start this learning module here.

Series of five modules focus on global health emergency competencies with five themes.

The modules; Community-based research, chronic disease and mental health have been released. Final 2 modules; virtual education and disaster preparedness will be released in the coming months.

Modules available for free here

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WONCA NEWS

THE BESROUR CENTRE: GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE AND IMPACT GRANT BACKGROUND The Besrour Centre for Global Family Medicine (Besrour Centre) at the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), thanks to the generous support of the CFPC’s Foundation for the Advancement of Family Medicine (FAFM) and the Fondation Docteur Sadok Besrour, is seeking proposals for a Global COVID-19 pandemic innovation response.

This initiative is a response to the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well being of nations. The pandemic has put immense pressure on health systems and as we move towards a post-pandemic phase, the focus is shifting towards building resilient primary health care.

The goal of Phase II of Global Co-RIG is to support family practice / primary care innovations that improve access to services and respond to the long-term effects of the pandemic, such as mental health, especially for the most vulnerable communities and those living in remote areas.

The family practice innovations that are likely to have a high degree of impact include education innovations, practice innovations, use of technology, and responses that address equity and inclusion. The request for proposal will contribute to the achievement of how family innovative practice will likely have a high degree of impact in reducing the long-term harms of COVID-19.

To achieve this, the Besrour Centre will support two proposals with different targets or approaches that fall into one of the following categories: • New, innovative practice during the COVID19 pandemic in family medicine training including curricular changes, interdisciplinary education, or use of virtual curriculum delivery

• Practice-level innovations that respond to the needs of key populations that lack access to care or that the pandemic is targeting unequally • Innovations to reduce the impact of phases three and four of the pandemic—the burden of delayed and neglected chronic disease, and the mental and other social determinants of health impacts of the pandemic • Increased effectiveness to advocate for evidence-based, accountable, and equitable health care policies, policy framework s, and services • Projects on mental health integration using a team-based approach are especially encouraged.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA • Submitter(s) must be a family physician or a group of family physicians from a low- and middle-income country (LMIC)—including from diverse contexts linked to a university • Proposed innovations must take place in a primary care setting, and may take a variety of formats • Submissions may not be for drug trials but may involve innovation for therapeutic delivery/remote settings PROJECT FUNDS AND GRANTS The Besrour Centre aims to support a grant, valued up to C$50,000 in Canadian Dollars (CDN), in 2023.

An example of a fundable educational project is developing and evaluating virtual educational modules for countries where recently launched family medicine programs are at risk of stagnation or regression due to the pandemic.

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Another example is the collation of contextspecific family medicine data at the country granular level and the attempt to correlate with COVID-19 outcomes to extract lessons about the importance of primary care strengthening in the face of pandemics. We need to better understand how primary care should be integrated with the larger health system in order to be nimble and able to pivot in the face of crisis.

Applications are open to known Besrour Centre actors as well as potential new academic partners. Applications should not be geared to learners or fellows, but to experienced academics and researchers from LMICs. Applications that have academics collaborating across contexts are favorable.

Furthermore, proposals should outline how we can best increase capacity building for dealing with both emergencies and chronic lack of access to care in view of strengthening health care system resilience.

The aim is to realize a sustainable initiative where best practices and lessons can be applied to various contexts in an emergency setting.

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DISCOVER THE EUROPREV ELEARNING WEBINARS 2023 Discover the EUROPREV e-learning webinars 2023, a FREE medical education activity.

EUROPREV e-learning aims to debate interesting topics related to preventive medicine from a very practical perspective.

With a focus on preventive medicine, these webinars will offer practical insights and encourage open discussion on a variety of relevant topics. You'll have the chance to engage with other participants and share your thoughts and questions through the live chat function.

Each module will last for 90 minutes. This will be a continuing medical education activity and for colleagues attending the 4 Modules, a Certificate of Attendance corresponding to a 6-hour training activity will be issued.

FIND MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTER HERE

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LSHTM WEBINAR SERIERS: PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: THE HEART OF EVERY HEALTH SYSTEM The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) invites you to a ten-part seminar series that will run from October 2022 to July 2023.

The series provides an overview of the key features and functions of PHC, the potential of PHC in all health systems and its role in achieving universal health coverage. Sessions draw on examples across different settings.

For more details and joining instructions follow links" with "For more details, joining instructions and recordings of previous events follow links: 12.45 – 13.45, Wed 5 Oct 2022: Panel Discussion. Primary Health Care: The heart of every health system?

12.45 – 13.45, Wed 2 Nov 2022, What is Primary Health Care?

12.45 – 13.45, Wed 7 Dec 2020, Achieving Primary Health Care through Multisectoral Action and Policy 12.45 – 13.45, Wed Jan 2023, Empowering People and Communities Feb 2023, Integrating Primary Care and Public Health - RE-SCHEDULED 12.45 – 13.45, Wed 8 Mar 2023, Financing Primary Care

UPCOMING SESSIONS 12.45 – 13.45, Wed 26 Apr 2023, Getting the Primary Care Workforce right May 2023, Holding it together: Primary Care Infrastructure Jun 2023, Measuring, regulating, and improving Primary Care Jul 23, Panel Discussion: Primary Health Care at the heart of every health system - an achievable dream?

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