WONCA NEWS June 2023

VOL 49 | NUMBER 5

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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) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA EUROPE PROF SHLOMO VINKER (ISRAEL) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA IBEROAMERICANACIMF ADJ/PROF JACQUELINE PONZO (URUGUAY) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA NORTH AMERICA DR JEFF MARKUNS (USA) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA SOUTH ASIA DR TARIQ AZIZ (PAKISTAN)

CONTENT FROM THE PRESIDENT

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WONCA SYDNEY HOC CHAIR: MAY 2023

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WONCA CONFERENCES

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WONCA SYDNEY 2023 RMA 2023 WONCA EUROPE 2025

- LISBON, PORTUGAL

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WONCA & WHO NEWS WONCA MEETINGS AT THE 76TH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY SIDE EVENT: ON THE ROAD TO TRANSFORMATION OF HEALTH: INTEGRATED PRIMARY CARE SERVICES AND THE ROLE OF FAMILY MEDICINE WONCA DELIVERED 3 CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS AT THE WHA ENHANCING NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASE CARE WONCA AND THE WORLD FEDERATION OF MEDICAL EDUCATION

YOUNG DOCTOR'S MOVEMENTS

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EYFDM2023 PRECONFERENCE

WONCA REGIONS WONCA EUROPE CONFERENCE

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YOUNG DOCTORS' REPRESENTATIVE DR SANKHA RANDENIKUMARA (SRI LANKA)

WONCA EXPERTS HIGHLIGHTED AT SUCCESSFUL EUROPE CONFERENCE

WONCA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER DR HARRIS LYGIDAKIS

WONCA EMR: ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BAHRAINI FAMILY PHYSICIANS ASSOCIATION

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

WP & SIGS NEWS

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A CALL FROM THE WONCA WP ON THE ENVIRONMENT: URGENT ACTION TO SAFEGUARD THE HEALTH OF GLOBAL POPULATIONS FROM THE CLIMATE CRISIS. WONCA SIG POLICY ADVOCACY WEBINAR JUNE 22ND DISCOVER THE NEW WONCA SIG ON INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY 2023

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SUBMIT YOUR ACTIVITIES

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES

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WONCA NEWS

FROM THE PRESIDENT J U N E 2 0 2 3

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

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‘BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD’ GHANDI If Universal Health Care (UHC) is to be achieved, given the crucial role of Primary Care in bringing about this change, contributing the technical expertise of Family Medicine Doctors to the work of the World Health Organisation (WHO) is a priority aim for our organisation.

Written by: WONCA President, Dr Anna Stavdal and WONCA Executive Member at Large and WHO Liaison, Prof Val Wass

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Attending the annual WHO Health Assemblies has become an important event in the WONCA calendar as, since 2010, we have continued to build our relationship with the WHO.

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Indeed, since we became a Non-State-Actor (NSA) in 2017, we have established regular meetings and visits to Geneva, contributed to the three yearly work plans, attended the 2018 Astana conference and ultimately signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2019. Last month the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) was held in Geneva. I am therefore joining with Professor Val Wass, a current Member at Large with responsibility for liaising with the WHO, to report on our visit.

WONCA NEWS

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2019

NEW OPPORTUNITIES: These strengthened relationships are building exciting opportunities for WONCA to contribute technical expertise to WHO projects. Politically, given the increasing complexity of multi professional primary health care (PHC) delivery, it has become crucial we openly role model the allimportant expertise of family medicine doctors. We need to build sustainable effective collaborations with WHO projects to demonstrate how primary care can address health inequities and achieve UHC to openly demonstrate how important we are.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES: As we move forward , our strategic priorities have refocused on : Strengthening WONCA regional links with the WHO to map and build on these.

Harnessing the expertise of our working parties and special interest groups to provide technical support ensuring those involved carry the WONCA banner!

Focusing our clinical expertise to support WHO initiatives to improve noncommunicable disease (NCD) outcomes.

Establishing a more formal collaboration between professional organisations in primary care.

Budi G. Sadikin, Minister of Health of Indonesia

WHAT WE ACHIEVED AT WHA 76 1: Breakfast meeting with the Indonesian Minister of Health: A well-attended early morning side event with the MoH Indonesian Minister of Health, cohosted by WONCA with the Besrour Center, Canada, proved highly successful. The idea originated at the Asia Pacific Conference in December 2022 at a meeting with the Minister. The aim was to highlight, and advocate for, the importance of family medicine in tackling health care inequities and to support its development in Indonesia and low- and middle-income countries. We hope, with the support of the Minister, to support future training programmes.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE: The WHO works mainly in specific countries rather than across regions. Building an overview of how our Membership Organisations and Academic Members are involved has become increasingly important.

We must ensure they raise awareness of WONCA`s key advocacy messages and feedback to the WONCA secretariat and leadership on activities and initiatives.

Human and financial resources are limited, so we aim to manage this wisely.

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2: Constituency statement on the importance of family medicine and selfcare: As an NSA we were delighted to be nominated to take the lead to negotiate to deliver a three-minute statement on “Reorienting health systems to primary health care as a resilient foundation for universal health coverage’ in parternership with Global Self Care Federation, and supported by other organisations. This was supported by eight organisations. It was good to be visible.

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Prof Val Wass, Dr John Fogarty, WONCA President Anna Stavdal and WONCA CEO Harris Lygidakis

3: Meetings were held throughout the visit aimed strategically at building our network.

We highlight a few: 1: WHO Head Quarter Integrated Health Services, Clinical Services and Systems: We are delighted that Dr John Fogarty, the Technical Officer, is our new WHO link officer.

He demonstrated, with his team, packages WHO are developing which can be individualised to guide a country on the delivery of health care services, https://uhcc.who.int/uhcpackages/.

We agreed to work with the WHO and offered our expertise to review and advise on how packages could be tailored to PHC delivery within specific countries.

Dr Bente Mikkelsen, director of the division of Noncommunicable Diseases at WHO, Dr Slim Slama, unit leader at the NCDs Department, and Alarcos Cieza, responsible for the Vision, Audition, Disability and Rehabilitation Department

2: The Director for NCD, Bente Mikkelsen, and her team: Given 74% of global deaths are from NCDs, we feel this is a prime area to target. Key topics discussed included continuity of care, integration of NCD services into primary care, and the pivotal role of family doctors in NCD management.

More detail can be found HERE. We agreed to collaborate with them to finesse our WONCA NCD statement and then meet to explore potential actions.

Dr Pamela Cipriano, President of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and ICN CEO Howard Catton; and Prof Bettina Borisch, Executive Director of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA).

3: World Federation of Public Health Associations (Bettina Borisch) and International Council of Nurses: We met with Pamela Cipriano (President) and Howard Catton (CEO) to further pursue our strategic aim of a formal collaboration between professional organisations in primary care – a PHC Umbrella. We agreed to further work on a joint statement to agree a Memorandum of Understanding.

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4: The Director of the WHO Health Workforce, Dr Jim Campbell: The workforce team remains keen to collaborate with us to collate workforce statistics on the numbers of family medicine doctors per country globally – an ambitious, rather daunting, task. We agreed to collaborate with our member organisations to achieve this, at least for some member countries.

WONCA NEWS Lucía Pérez Gómez from the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA)

Dr Jim Campbell, the Health Workforce Director, and his team

5: Networking: It is good to be part of raising awareness of our work and reestablish links lost during the Covid-19 pandemic. We were delighted to meet with the International Federation of Medical Student Associations (IFMSA) and the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME).

Our resolve was to agree deliverable actions, identifying where we can logistically deliver and engage the immense expertise within our half a million members and across our 133 member organisations. An exhausting few days! We returned home with a more concrete sense of direction on where we can meet our aims to deliver and impact.

We remain convinced that, as per the Alma declaration, strengthening PHC is the most inclusive, effective and efficient approach to enhance people’s physical and mental health, as well as social well-being. PHC is a cornerstone of a sustainable health system for UHC. We believe by actively leading and engaging our family medicine expertise with the work of the WHO we can play a crucial role in the delivering UHC. As Ghandi said we need to: “Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Dr Geneviève Moineau and Professor Ricardo León-Borquez from the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME)

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WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY JUNE 5TH WONCA 2023 Sydney is hosting a Green Day as part of its activities. Held on Saturday 28 October, Green Day will focus on the issues of climate change and the environment to showcase the impact that GPs and family doctors can have on sustainability, and the impact that our changing climate is having on general practice and the health of our community.

WONCA Green Day will include a range of green activities, and we encourage you to wear something green on the day. Other activities will include two keynote presentations on sustainability and a digital photo competition for attendees. We’ll share some more details on this in early August.

Our plenary that day will open with the wonderful Professor Enrique Barros (Chair of the WONCA working party on the Environment) and Professor Maria Neira (Director of the Department of the Environment at WHO), highlighting the intersection between the world’s environment, equity and health.

Our social program will have multiple events for you to reconnect with your peers and build friendships across the world. These are listed on the website, and we will be adding to them on a regular basis. Darling Harbour is a wonderful place to reconnect with many dining places for informal gatherings all within walking distance of the ICC event center. We know the Family Doctors of the world need to reconnect and revive.

OTHER EXCITING EVENTS. The young doctors have a busy preconference program. The other WONCA special interest groups also have preconference programs and are looking to set up a marketplace where they can showcase their international work and add to their talent pool.

Inter-practice visits Remember to register an expression of interest for the NSW faculty of RACGP who are organizing tours of Australian General Practices in a variety of settings.

Finally Green Day Remember your green outfit and the digital photo competition. We are going to have a lot of joy and fun on this day with a very important message. The message of caring for our environment, of course applies to the whole conference and also our daily work in our communities.

See you very soon and the countdown is on.

Until we meet, journey peacefully and purposively.

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Special interest groups will also be presenting at WONCA in the main conference program too so look out for those. There are so many great ways to be involved.

Professor Enrique Barros is featured on the WONCA website, HERE. Professor Maria Neira is featured HERE. There is much more within the program, and we encourage you to register now.

REGISTER NOW!

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Chair of the HOC WONCA Sydney Immediate past president RACGP

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Planning to attend the Rural Medicine Australia 2023 (RMA23) conference in nipaluna (Hobart) in October? Don’t miss out on early bird prices for the best available conference rates which end Friday, 30 June.

LOOKING TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TRIP DOWN SOUTH? We know time away from loved ones can be hard, which is why we are delighted to announce RMA23 will offer a family and friends program. This year, bring your loved ones along to enjoy all that lutruwita (Tasmania) has to offer! Learn more about this exciting new offering, curated for you by the RMA23 conference team.

PARTNER WITH THE MOST ANTICIPATED RURAL MEDICINE EVENT OF THE YEAR With a conference partnership you receive premium brand exposure, the chance to connect with conference delegates, and the opportunity to showcase your products and services to a captive audience. Plus, you’ll raise your profile and foster new relationships with a wide range of sponsors and exhibitors looking to learn and expand their knowledge.

DOWNLOAD THE PROSPECTUS

OUR RANGE OF PARTNER AND EXHIBITION PACKAGES CAN HELP YOU: Demonstrate your commitment to the future of regional, rural and remote medicine Position your brand among the professions’ most influential leaders and policy makers Promote your organisation, and its product or service Maintain or build a profile in the health industry Establish new and nurture existing relationships with clients and business partners

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Have questions? Email the RMA conference team at rmaconference@acrrm.org.au

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WONCA NEWS

LISBON TO BE THE EPICENTER OF THE 25TH WONCA WORLD CONFERENCE The Portuguese Association of General and Family Medicine (APMGF) is actively engaged in promoting the upcoming 25th WONCA World Conference, scheduled to take place in Lisbon in 2025.

This event will be organized in collaboration with WONCA Europe Region, further emphasizing the collective effort and dedication of the Portuguese medical community in contributing to the global healthcare landscape.

Portugal stands out as the third mostrepresented country at the 28th WONCA European Conference in Brussels, Belgium, with 197 participants, trailing closely behind Belgium and the Netherlands. The Portuguese delegation has made a remarkable impact on the conference, with 75 posters by Portuguese authors being accepted for presentation, along with 86 oral communications delivered in diverse formats as defined by the organizing committee.

Visit the official website of the Portuguese Association of General and Family Medicine (APMGF)

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WONCA MEETINGS AT THE 76TH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY On the occasion of the 76th World Health Assembly, WONCA President Anna Stavdal, CEO Harris Lygidakis, and Executive Member at Large and WHO Liaison, Prof Val Wass participated in a series of strategic meetings with WHO experts and representatives of other civil society organizations that have collaborative relationships with WONCA, to explore and identify potential areas of collaboration.

WONCA also hosted a side event in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Indonesia the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Besrour Centre to discuss the transformation of primary care and the crucial role of family medicine in enabling integrated primary health services. The event aimed to highlight the efforts undertaken by Indonesia and other countries to reorient its healthcare model towards a primary healthcare and people-centred approach.

Read more here.

During their visit, the WONCA delegation held meetings with Dr Geneviève Moineau and Professor Ricardo León-Borquez from the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), Lucía Pérez Gómez from the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), Dr Pamela Cipriano, President of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and ICN CEO Howard Catton; and Prof Bettina Borisch, Executive Director of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA).

WONCA President, Dr Anna Stavdal also met leaders from the WHO, Dr Bente Mikkelsen, director of the division of Noncommunicable Diseases at WHO, Dr Slim Slama, unit leader at the NCDs Department, Alarcos Cieza, responsible for the Vision, Audition, Disability and Rehabilitation Department, to discuss the pivotal role of family doctors in combating Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs).

During the second and third day of activities, the delegation from WONCA had the opportunity to participate in significant meetings with key World Health Organization (WHO) experts. Among them were Dr Jim Campbell, the Health Workforce Director, and Dr John Fogarty, the WHO officer responsible for Integrated Health Services, Clinical Services, and Systems.

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These meetings served as crucial points of connection between WONCA and the WHO, facilitating important discussions and collaborations between the organizations.

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SIDE EVENT: ON THE ROAD TO TRANSFORMATION OF HEALTH: INTEGRATED PRIMARY CARE SERVICES AND THE ROLE OF FAMILY MEDICINE On May 22nd, 2023, the Ministry of Health of Indonesia hosted a side-event in collaboration with WONCA, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Besrour Centre to discuss on the transformation of primary care and the crucial role of family medicine in enabling integrated primary health services.

The event aimed to highlight the efforts undertaken by Indonesia and other countries to reorient its healthcare model towards a primary healthcare and people-centered approach.

The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant strains on national and global health systems, necessitating transformative actions. Recognising the need for change, the Ministry of Health of Indonesia launched six pillars of health transformation, with the transformation of primary care delivery being a key focus. The objective of this transformation is to enhance promotive and preventive services, including strengthened preventive efforts, early detection, health promotion, infrastructure development, wellequipped facilities, human resource development, and improved management of primary care services across the country. To achieve this, Indonesia has adopted the concept of "Integrated People-Centered Health Services" (IPCHS) with a life cycle approach.

“I want to leave a legacy and ensure all Indonesian people have a happy, healthy life and well-being. I strongly believe that the best wealth is health” stated the Minister of Health of Indonesia, Budi G. Sadikin.

The side-event also brought together healthcare leaders from various countries to exchange insights and experiences on effective approaches to reorienting the model of primary care and enhancing the role of family medicine in facilitating integrated primary health services. The event also featured WONCA President, Dr Anna Stavdal; Dr Raymond Bruce J. Aylward, Assistant Director-General (UHC, Life Course) at WHO HQ; Dr Atul Gawande, Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID; Dr David Ponka, Director of Besrour Centre in Canada; ; and Dr Innocent Besigye from Besrour Center

“Now, more than ever, what the world needs is: High-quality Primary Care” expressed Dr Anna Stavdal. “A close-to-home, healthcare hub, that functions in seamless collaboration with Social Care and Public Health services, as well as with hospitals. That requires strong, interprofessional teams, with qualified Family Doctor”.

During her participation, Dr Anna Stavdal, President of WONCA, reaffirmed WONCA's commitment to strengthening Primary Health Care as a fundamental prerequisite for attaining Universal Health Coverage.

This side-event served as a significant step forward in the journey towards strengthening primary care and achieving integrated health services. The outcomes and lessons learned from this event will contribute to the ongoing efforts of countries worldwide to transform their healthcare systems for the betterment of their populations.

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The event took place in a hybrid format, with an in-person meeting at Room Foyer A, Fairmont Grand Hotel, Geneva, and remote participation via Zoom.

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WONCA DELIVERED 3 CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS AT THE WHA WONCA joined the Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 21 to May 30, 2023.

The delegation consisted of WONCA President Anna Stavdal, CEO Harris Lygidakis, and Executive Member at Large and WHO Liaison, Prof Val Wass.

On the ocasion of the WHA, WONCA elivered three constituency statements related to multiple agenda items, including item 15.1 on Strengthening WHO preparedness for and response to health emergencies; item 16.1 on Well-being and health promotion; and item 13.1 on Universal health coverage: “Reorienting health systems to primary health care as a resilient foundation for universal health coverage and Preparations for a high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on universal health coverage”. The statement on this last item was delivered on behalf of WONCA and other organizations by Dr Mercy Wanjala, Executive member of the WONCA Working Party on Rural Practice and WONCA Rural Seeds Ambassador for Africa Region.

READ THE COMPLETE STATEMENTS 1 (Agenda Item 13.1) Constituency Statement on Universal health coverage: Reorienting health systems to primary health care as a resilient foundation for universal health coverage and preparations for a high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on universal health coverage 2. NSA Constituency Statement: Agenda item 15.1 Strengthening WHO preparedness for and response to health emergencies 3. Constituency Statement: Agenda Item 16.1 Well-being and health promotion

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ENHANCING NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASE CARE

Given the limited resources and challenges faced, collaboration between WHO and WONCA was emphasized as a vital approach to tackling NCDs effectively.

WONCA President, Dr Anna Stavdal, CEO Dr Harris Lygidakis, and Prof. Val Wass, Executive Member-at-Large and WHO Liaison met experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Bente Mikkelsen, director of the division of Noncommunicable Diseases at WHO, Dr Slim Slama, unit leader at the NCDs Department, Alarcos Cieza, responsible for the Vision, Audition, Disability and Rehabilitation Department.

The NCDs served as a platform for experts from WHO and WONCA to come together and address the pressing challenges associated with NCD care. The insights shared highlighted the importance of collaboration, awareness-building, and practical implementation strategies in order to advance NCD management and improve health outcomes globally.

The meeting centered around exploring strategies to enhance NCD care and address the pressing challenges associated with these diseases. Key topics discussed included continuity of care, integration of NCD services into primary care, and the pivotal role of family doctors in NCD management.

The participants shared valuable insights based on their experiences and research, shedding light on the importance of multidisciplinary teams, holistic approaches, and the need for practical implementation strategies.

The reunion highlighted the significance of testimony and awareness-building in combating NCDs. The participants emphasized the need to engage stakeholders at various levels, including mayors, community health workers, and the broader health workforce, to create people-centered care and raise awareness about NCD prevention and management.

The primary focus of this gathering was to discuss and strategize opportunities for collaboration between the two organizations, with a shared objective of supporting and advancing primary care and medical education.

We extend our gratitude to Dr Geneviève Moineau and Professor Ricardo LeónBorquez for their valuable contributions and insightful discussion during this meeting.

ABOUT THE WORLD FEDERATION FOR MEDICAL WONCA AND THE WORLD FEDERATION EDUCATION (WFME) OF MEDICAL The World Federation for Medical Education EDUCATION is a non-governmental organisation working During the recent World Health Assembly 76, representatives from the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) and the World Federation of Medical Education came together. This meeting served as a platform for representatives from both organizations to explore and identify potential areas of collaboration.

The meeting brought together WONCA President, Dr Anna Stavdal, CEO Dr Harris Lygidakis, and Prof. Val Wass, Executive Member-at-Large and WHO Liaison, alongside Dr Geneviève Moineau and Professor Ricardo León-Borquez from the World Federation of Medical Education.

Given the limited resources and challenges faced, collaboration between WHO and WONCA was emphasized as a vital approach to tackling NCDs effectively.

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to enhance the quality of medical education worldwide through promotion of the highest scientific and ethical standards in medical education.

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#EYFDM2023 PRECONFERENCE The EYFDM 2023 Preconference in Brussels provided a platform for young family doctors to gather, learn, and collaborate, strengthening their role in shaping the future of primary healthcare. With an emphasis on professional development, collaboration, and the integration of technology, this event set the stage for the next generation of family doctors to bring positive change to healthcare systems across Europe and beyond.

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WONCA EUROPE 2023 WONCA President, Dr Anna Stavdal dedicated a few words to family doctors around the world during the opening ceremony of WONCA Europe 2023 in Brussels, Belgium.

During her speech, Dr Stavdal underscored the unparalleled significance of global solidarity among family doctors and stressed the imperative of integrating research and practice in family medicine to prevent fragmentation.

“Strengthening global solidarity is the most important an international organization can have. For WONCA, that results from supporting each other in building resilient, Primary Care-Based health systems ,worldwide, trough the contribution of Family Doctors” The opening ceremony included the first keynote lecture of the conferences, titled "Preparing for the future: resetting public health at the core of our healthcare system," delivered by Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium’s Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health.

WONCA President, Dr Anna Stavdal / Credit: Guarant

Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium’s Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health./ Credit: Guarant

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Prof Shlomo Vinker, President of WONCA Europe. / Credit: Guarant

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Aurore Girard, Chair of the Host Organizing Committee/ Credit: Guarant

The event was enriched by the notable presence of various distinguished participants, including Cassian Minguet, member of the Host Organizing Committee, as well as Aurore Girard and Ann Van den Bruel, Chairs of the Host Organizing Committee, Jeroen Van den Brandt, Chair of the Belgian Society for General Practitioners/Family Physicians (BSGP), and Prof Shlomo Vinker, President of WONCA Europe.

Discover the complete Gallery HERE. AAnn Van den Bruel, Chair of the Host Organizing Committee / Credit: Guarant

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WONCA NEWS

WONCA EXPERTS HIGHLIGHTED AT SUCCESSFUL EUROPE CONFERENCE The highly anticipated WONCA Europe Conference, held in Brussels, Belgium from June 7-10, 2023, concluded last week on a resounding note of success. The conference brought together an esteemed gathering of primary healthcare professionals, experts, and leaders from 77 countries, facilitating an enriching exchange of knowledge and ideas to shape the future of primary healthcare.

Under the theme of collaborative healthcare innovation, the conference served as a platform for participants to delve into ground-breaking strategies and advancements aimed at transforming primary healthcare practices.

Attendees were treated to a comprehensive program featuring insightful keynote speeches, interactive workshops, panel discussions, and poster presentations, addressing a wide range of topics crucial to the field.

WONCA Working Party: Women & Family Medicine

Dr. Viviana Martinez-Bianchi

Prof Christos Lionis Chair of WP on Mental Health, and Dr Özden Gökdemir, Chair of WONCA Woking Party on Environment

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Elena Klusova - WONCA Special Interest Group on Emergency Medicine.

Chairs of the WONCA Working Parties and Special Interest Groups and othe rmembers of WONCA made significant contributions to the conference, sharing their expertise and insights with the participants in multiple sessions. Their active engagement in various sessions, workshops, and discussions enriched the conference program and provided valuable perspectives on the future of primary healthcare.

Discover more information Opening event HERE.

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For more information about the upcoming WONCA Conferences, please visit www.globalfamilydoctor.com

Dr Ana Cebrián, WONCA Special Interest Group: Non-communicable diseases

Dr Victor Ng - WP on Education

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WONCA EMR

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BAHRAINI FAMILY PHYSICIANS ASSOCIATION The Bahrain Medical Society has approved the activation of the Bahraini Family Physicians Association. The Board of Directors was elected as follows: Prof Dr Faisal Alnaser President Dr Amal Dawood Vice President Dr Ali Albaqara General Secretary Dr Bashayer Habeeb, Treasurer Dr Hana Alfayez Board Member Prof Alnaser stated that a few of the most important goals of the association are to consolidate the concept of family medicine in society, improve family medicine services in the Kingdom, strengthen the status of family doctors in the community, and provide family doctors with the latest medical methods and discoveries for the better care of patients. The association will aim in organizing educational courses, conferences, and seminars on a regional and international level. Since scientific research is vital for the progress and development of Medicine and in particular primary care and family medicine, the association will strive to engage the doctors in such activity and strengthen collaboration with scientific bodies, both regionally and internationally.

It is worth mentioning that the Kingdom of Bahrain is one of the first Arab countries to adopt the Family Medicine specialty when it was established more than 43 years ago the Family Practice Residency Program (FPRP). It is a high-standard four years training and teaching program to prepare doctors to be qualified family physicians. It continued to graduate family doctors since 1982. These physicians had an important role in improving the health status of Bahrain and its population as well as influenced the promotion of the specialty in the Gulf and the Arab regions.

The pioneering Bahraini family physicians held many presidential, educational, and training positions in the Arab Board for Health Specializations and many other national, regional, and international institutions. Moreover, they helped in establishing family medicine training programs in many different Arab countries and supervised the periodic examinations that are held to graduate family physicians in the Arab world.

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A CALL FROM THE WONCA WP ON THE ENVIRONMENT We the family doctors, doctors and health professionals of the world call on world leaders to take urgent action to safeguard the health of global populations from the climate crisis.

Climate change is already having widespread impacts on human health. As frontline health workers we are increasingly responding to health emergencies triggered by the climate crisis. Yet in the face of increasing harm and suffering, new fossil fuel resources continue to be developed and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.

If we are to have any chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C and halting the escalation of the climate health emergency, we must end the proliferation of fossil fuels.

The World Health Organization has called for a Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty and an end to fossil fuel subsidies. We therefore join these calls, and urge all Governments to adopt the following as urgent health interventions: • End expansion of any new fossil fuel infrastructure and production.

• Phase out existing production and use of fossil fuels.

• Remove fossil fuel subsidies and invest in renewable energy.

• Fast track 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.

SIGN THE PETITION

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WONCA NEWS

WONCA SIG POLICY ADVOCACY WEBINAR JUNE 22ND SETTING OUR PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT BIENNIUM WHAT WILL HELP WONCA MOST? BACKGROUND

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The SIGPA was set up in the last biennium, aiming to build capacity for policy advocacy by family doctors at national and local level We have run webinars, shared evidence on how to handle power and create change, and heard from colleagues who have been advocates through WONCA and their other roles. We know that educational events are valuable, and also that people like to have the chance to apply their learning to their own situations. With the next WONCA Conference in October, all SIGs and WPs are expected to create a programme of work, and so we want to use the June webinar to share some ideas about priorities for our SIG, and get your views. This in itself is a learning exercise – how to decide what matters most, and how to act on it! So join us.

The Chair and panellists will start the webinar with brief presentations and then questions. We will go into breakout rooms for 20 minutes and then come back to continue the wider debate. The Chair will summarise “take-home points” that will help the SIGPA Exec to form a further proposal, which will then be shared on the Portal so members can feed back ahead of October, when programme can be finalised.

TIMES

See you soon!

To accommodate different time zones, we shall run two webinars –

Specific questions to start you thinking – “What do I most need from the WONCA SIGPA to help me be effective as a family doctor? How can we make the advocacy efforts of our national family medicine association more effective? What would I like them to do over the next 2 years? Who else needs to be involved for this to work?”

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0700 – 0830 UTC (0800 – 0930 UK) Register HERE and 1600-1730 UTC - Register HERE Chairs – Amanda Howe and Shabir Moosa Panel speakers - to give us their views on what can work, and what to prioritise to help family doctors be effective advocates for their patients and teams, their services and communities, and their health systems, we welcome Dr Florian Stigler (Austrian family physician, also convenor of the “Global Forum on UHC & PHC” Forum; and Dr Sankha Randenikumara YDM Representative on WONCA Executive.

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ADVOCACY

PROF AMANDA HOWE

Chair | Past President, WONCA

PROF. SHABIR MOOSA -

Chair | Member at Large, WONCA

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WONCA NEWS

DISCOVER THE NEW WONCA SIG ON INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE The WONCA Special Interest Group on Integrative Care supports WONCA's vision by promoting integrative medicine for universal health coverage and sustainable development. It provides a forum for doctors practising traditional medicine to exchange knowledge, enhancing their understanding of different healing modalities.

With an evidence-based approach, the group boosts physician confidence in distinguishing effective treatments. They encourage open discussions with patients, respecting their beliefs. By promoting awareness, confidence, and patient-centred care, the group aims to improve healthcare outcomes and strengthen doctor-patient relationships Find more information HERE. CHAIR Dr Sonia Tsukagoshi (UK) CO-CHAIRS Dr Sankha Randenikumara (Sri Lanka) Dr Christofer Patrick Reichel (Austria) Dr Uma Senthilkumar (UAE) Dr Dimitrios Alepidis (Cyprus) This group aims to support WONCA's vision by harnessing the potential of integrative medicine for universal health coverage and sustainable development goals. They seek to provide a platform for doctors who practice traditional medicine, improve awareness of evidence-based modalities, and enhance physician confidence in discussing and differentiating between treatment options.

Their objectives include advocating for integrative medicine, evaluating research to develop guidelines and policies for family doctors, educating healthcare professionals through workshops and online modules, promoting safe and evidence-based holistic care, sharing information and best practices, and collaborating with the WHO.

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WONCA NEWS

THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF

Thank you for being a crucial part of World Family Doctor Day! You are indeed the backbone of our efforts.

Now, we invite you to share the exciting activities and initiatives you organised to celebrate this special day. Whether you hosted fantastic events in your community, conducted engaging webinars, or spread your support through social media, we want to hear all about it!

Please note that by submitting your activities and photos, you confirm you have obtained consent from the individuals portrayed in the images for their publication. Additionally, by sharing these materials, you grant WONCA a license to utilize the photos under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA) license.

Together, we can make a real impact! Thank you for being an invaluable part of this celebration!

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY

SUBMIT YOUR ACTIVITIES!

A Campaign Created by

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WONCA NEWS

Make a difference in global healthcare by supporting WONCA and Family Doctors!

As the World Organization of Family Doctors, we represent over half a million family doctors around the globe. At WONCA, we firmly believe that access to quality healthcare is a fundamental human right.

Help us give family doctors a global voice donate to WONCA today!

1. We promote knowledge exchange among family doctors and primary healthcare professionals worldwide through our community groups, newsletters, and educational and dissemination activities.

2. We support countries to build capacities and improve the quality of primary healthcare services through accreditation programs, partnerships with academic institutions, and expertise matching.

Celebrate World Family Doctor Day by helping us on the critical mission of improving the quality of life of the people of the world.

Join World Family Doctor Day 2023 and honour the incredible work of family doctors everywhere.

3. We advocate for stronger family medicine, primary healthcare and global health equity through partnerships and policy influence at the World Health Organization (WHO).

WONCA is their voice!

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WONCA NEWS

EVERY DOCTOR: HEALTHIER DOCTORS = HEALTHIER PATIENTS My co-authors, Professor Michael Kidd, Dr Vihangi Abeygunawardana and I wrote the fully revised 2nd edition of Every Doctor because we believe that healthier doctors provide the highest standard of patient care – and find more joy in life and work.

Clinical Professor Leanne Rowe, Australian rural general practitioner and past Chairman of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

Family medicine is a fantastic career. It can be a privilege to witness the courage of our patients, gain extraordinary insight into ordinary life, and develop bonds with colleagues who become lifelong friends across international borders. But we must also address the downside – general practitioners are continuing to confront and adapt to global and local public health crises, which are impacting on the mental and physical health of every community – and every doctor.

In Every Doctor, we are advocating for a transformational change in the way doctors protect their mental health; care for their colleagues, particularly early career doctors; and co-create a kinder, more humane work culture. Every doctor has the right to a safe workplace – a healthy work environment that protects doctors against burnout and mental injury, bullying, harassment, discrimination, racism, medicolegal issues and verbal and physical assaults. This is every doctor’s responsibility.

We all have more influence than realised to reform our health systems and workplaces through co-leadership with like-minded colleagues. For example, in the last few years of the pandemic, groups of dedicated family doctors banded together under the umbrellas of WONCA and National Colleges of General Practice and Family Medicine to drive health care innovation such as advances in digital technologies; expand telehealth provision; set up new services for isolated rural communities and war torn countries; rapidly establish vaccination centres; roll out new education and training

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programs; and provide strong advocacy on a very wide range of issues that impact on patient care. This healthcare activism must continue.

It’s also time for senior doctors to step up and provide more support to early career doctors. Young family doctors at the front line of health care should not have to learn about navigating career challenges “the hard way” through bitter experience. In recent times, the pandemic and other public health crises have resulted in loss of career progression, loss of certainty about the future, traumatic losses of patients, family members, friends and colleagues. In this environment, workplace mental injury including direct and vicarious trauma in doctors is under reported, under recognised and under treate We can do so much more to care for our colleagues in these circumstances.

Every Doctor confronts all these challenges and provides practical solutions based on the wisdom of experienced doctors and the medical literature. Brimming with poignant and hopeful stories and quotes from many family doctors at all career stages, Every Doctor is a celebration of the growing global interconnectedness and the changing face of the medical profession.

Please consider gifting the new edition to a new colleague – but please read it first!

For more information: https://routledge.pub/Every-Doctor There is a 20% discount with promo code ESA31

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WONCA WP RESEARCH WEBINAR

CORE VALUE OF FAMILY MEDICINE AND PRIMARY CARE, LEARNING FROM SPAIN, IRELAND, LEBANON AND MALAYSIA We are excited to announce that the 4th session of the WONCA WP Research Webinar is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, June 20th at 10.00 am CET. This webinar series aims to bring together general practitioners and family physicians from around the world to discuss various aspects of primary care and family medicine.

One of the highlights of this session is the presence of Dr. Anna Stavdal, President of WONCA, who will be joining us to share her valuable insights. We are truly privileged to have her participation in this event.

Additionally, the session will have presenters from different continents, including Dr. Maria del Rocio Hernandez Soto from Spain, Dr. Patrick O'Donnel from Ireland, Dr. Mona Osman from Lebanon, and Dr. Hema Latha Naidu from Malaysia.

The focus of this session will be on the provision of care for a complex case involving social deprivation in various countries.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the strategies and approaches employed by general practitioners and family physicians in different parts of the world. It will be an enlightening experience to explore how primary care professionals address the challenges posed by social deprivation and ensure comprehensive care for their patients.

Furthermore, the webinar aims to delve into the value of family medicine and primary care and examine how it is perceived in each country. Understanding the perception and recognition of these fields is crucial for strengthening their role in healthcare systems worldwide.

The session will commence at 10.00 am CET and run until 11.30 am CET. Participants can access the webinar through the provided ZOOM LINK.

It is essential to note the starting time in different time zones: 11 am in Lebanon, 3 pm in Bangkok and Jakarta, 4.00 pm in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, 6.00 pm in Australia, and 8.00 pm in New Zealand.

For those in Asian countries, the session will also be broadcasted through Docquity, an app available in the region. You can register for the webinar via this link: https://app.docquity.com/#/login/inputmobile? redirectUrl=%2Fwebinar%2Fdetail%2F9382.

We encourage all healthcare professionals, researchers, and individuals interested in primary care and family medicine to join us for this enriching webinar. The diverse perspectives and experiences shared by the presenters promise to offer valuable insights into the challenges and advancements in primary care practices worldwide. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in a global conversation on the future of primary care and family medicine.

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WONCA NEWS

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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