FROM THE PRESIDENT

If Universal Health Care (UHC) is to be achieved, given the crucial role of Primary Care in bringing about this change, contributingthetechnicalexpertiseofFamily Medicine Doctors to the work of the World Health Organisation (WHO) is a priority aim forourorganisation

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Attending the annual WHO Health Assemblies has become an important event in the WONCA calendar as, since 2010, we havecontinuedtobuildourrelationshipwith theWHO

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

Indeed, since we became a Non-State-Actor (NSA) in 2017, we have established regular meetingsandvisitstoGeneva,contributedto 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 HealthAssembly(WHA)washeldinGeneva I amthereforejoiningwithProfessorValWass, acurrentMemberatLargewithresponsibility for liaising with the WHO, to report on our visit.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES:

These strengthened relationships are buildingexcitingopportunitiesforWONCAto 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 effectivecollaborationswithWHOprojectsto demonstrate how primary care can address healthinequitiesandachieveUHCtoopenly demonstratehowimportantweare

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

Aswemoveforward,ourstrategicpriorities haverefocusedon:

StrengtheningWONCAregionallinkswith theWHOtomapandbuildonthese. Harnessing the expertise of our working parties and special interest groups to providetechnicalsupportensuringthose involvedcarrytheWONCAbanner! Focusingourclinicalexpertisetosupport WHO initiatives to improve noncommunicabledisease(NCD)outcomes. Establishingamoreformalcollaboration between professional organisations in primarycare

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 involvedhasbecomeincreasinglyimportant. 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, soweaimtomanagethiswisely.

What We Achieved At Wha 76

1:Breakfast meeting with the Indonesian Minister of Health: A well-attended early morningsideeventwiththeMoHIndonesian MinisterofHealth,cohostedbyWONCAwith 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 inequitiesandtosupportitsdevelopmentin Indonesia and low- and middle-income countries. We hope, with the support of the Minister, to support future training programmes

2: Constituency statement on the importance of family medicine and selfcare:AsanNSAweweredelightedtobe 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 goodtobevisible.

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

1: WHO Head Quarter Integrated Health Services,ClinicalServicesandSystems:We are delighted that Dr John Fogarty, the TechnicalOfficer,isournewWHOlinkofficer. 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://uhccwhoint/uhcpackages/ We agreedtoworkwiththeWHOandofferedour expertise to review and advise on how packages could be tailored to PHC delivery withinspecificcountries

2: The Director for NCD, Bente Mikkelsen, and her team: Given 74% of global deaths arefromNCDs,wefeelthisisaprimeareato 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 MoredetailcanbefoundHERE

We agreed to collaborate with them to finesseourWONCANCDstatementandthen meettoexplorepotentialactions

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 primarycare–aPHCUmbrella Weagreedto further work on a joint statement to agree a MemorandumofUnderstanding

4: The Director of the WHO Health Workforce,DrJimCampbell:Theworkforce teamremainskeentocollaboratewithusto 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 leastforsomemembercountries

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 FederationofMedicalEducation(WFME).

Ourresolvewastoagreedeliverableactions, 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 concretesenseofdirectiononwherewecan meetouraimstodeliverandimpact

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 roleinthedeliveringUHC.AsGhandisaidwe need to: “Be the change you wish to see in theworld"

World Environment Day June 5th

WONCA 2023 Sydney is hosting a Green Day as part of its activities. Held on Saturday 28 October,GreenDaywillfocusontheissuesof 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 photocompetitionforattendees.We’llshare somemoredetailsonthisinearlyAugust

Our plenary that day will open with the wonderfulProfessorEnriqueBarros(Chairof 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,equityandhealth

Oursocialprogramwillhavemultipleevents for you to reconnect with your peers and buildfriendshipsacrosstheworld Theseare listed on the website, and we will be adding tothemonaregularbasis.DarlingHarbouris 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 worldneedtoreconnectandrevive

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 showcasetheirinternationalworkandaddto theirtalentpool

Special interest groups will also be presentingatWONCAinthemainconference programtoosolookoutforthose.Thereare somanygreatwaystobeinvolved.

Inter-practice visits Remember to register anexpressionofinterestfortheNSWfaculty 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 aregoingtohavealotofjoyandfunonthis day with a very important message. The message of caring for our environment, of course applies to the whole conference and alsoourdailyworkinourcommunities

Seeyouverysoonandthecountdownison

Until we meet, journey peacefully and purposively

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

ProfessorMariaNeiraisfeaturedHERE

Thereismuchmorewithintheprogram,

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