WONCA NEWS June 2023

Y E A R S

WONCAPRESIDENT

DRANNASTAVDAL(NORWAY)

EMAIL:PRESIDENT@WONCANET TWITTER:@ASTAVDAL

PRESIDENT-ELECT ASSOCPROFKARENFLEGG(AUSTRALIA)

EXECUTIVEMEMBERATLARGE& HONORARYTREASURER PROFVALWASS(UK)

EXECUTIVEMEMBERATLARGE DRMARÍAPILARASTIERPEÑA(SPAIN)

EXECUTIVEMEMBERATLARGE PROFSHABIRMOOSA(SOUTHAFRICA)

REGIONALPRESIDENT,WONCAAFRICA DRDANABUBAKAR(NIGERIA)

REGIONALPRESIDENT,WONCAASIAPACIFIC ASSOCPROFMOHAMMADHUSNIJAMAL(MALAYSIA)

REGIONALPRESIDENT,WONCAEAST MEDITERRANEAN PROFTAGHREEDMOHAMEDFARAHAT(EGYPT)

REGIONALPRESIDENT,WONCAEUROPE PROFSHLOMOVINKER (ISRAEL)

REGIONALPRESIDENT,WONCAIBEROAMERICANACIMF ADJ/PROFJACQUELINEPONZO(URUGUAY)

REGIONALPRESIDENT,WONCANORTHAMERICA DRJEFFMARKUNS(USA)

REGIONALPRESIDENT,WONCASOUTHASIA DRTARIQAZIZ(PAKISTAN)

YOUNGDOCTORS'REPRESENTATIVE DRSANKHARANDENIKUMARA(SRILANKA)

WONCACHIEFEXECUTIVEOFFICER DRHARRISLYGIDAKIS

WONCAWORLDSECRETARIAT WORLDORGANIZATIONOFFAMILYDOCTORS AVENUEDESARTS7-8

1210BRUSSELS BELGIUM

EMAIL:SECRETARIAT@WONCANET PHONE:+32(0)23290075

WONCAEDITOR MARIADOLORESZAVALA

EMAIL:EDITOR@WONCANET

TRANSLATIONS

DRJIEGU

DRHUAYANG

FROM THE PRESIDENT

WONCA SYDNEY HOC CHAIR: MAY 2023

WONCA CONFERENCES

WONCA SYDNEY 2023

RMA 2023

WONCA EUROPE 2025 - LISBON, PORTUGAL

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

EYFDM2023 PRECONFERENCE

WONCA REGIONS

WONCA EUROPE CONFERENCE 2023

WONCA EXPERTS HIGHLIGHTED AT SUCCESSFUL EUROPE CONFERENCE

WONCA EMR: ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BAHRAINI FAMILY PHYSICIANS ASSOCIATION

WP & SIGS NEWS

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

SUBMIT YOUR ACTIVITIES

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES

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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

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

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

BudiG Sadikin,MinisterofHealth ofIndonesia

MemorandumofUnderstanding (MOU)in2019

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

ProfValWass,DrJohnFogarty,WONCAPresidentAnna StavdalandWONCACEOHarrisLygidakis

DrBenteMikkelsen,directorofthedivisionofNoncommunicableDiseasesatWHO,DrSlimSlama,unit leaderattheNCDsDepartment,andAlarcosCieza,responsiblefortheVision,Audition,Disabilityand RehabilitationDepartment

DrPamelaCipriano,PresidentoftheInternationalCouncilofNurses(ICN)andICNCEOHowardCatton; andProfBettinaBorisch,ExecutiveDirectoroftheWorldFederationofPublicHealthAssociations (WFPHA)

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"

LucíaPérezGómezfromtheInternational FederationofMedicalStudents Associations(IFMSA)

DrJimCampbell,theHealthWorkforce Director,andhisteam

DrGenevièveMoineauandProfessor RicardoLeón-BorquezfromtheWorld FederationforMedicalEducation(WFME)

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,

Professor Enrique Barros is featured on the WONCAwebsite,HERE

Planning to attend the Rural Medicine Australia 2023 (RMA23) conference in nipaluna(Hobart)inOctober?Don’tmissout on early bird prices for the best available conferencerateswhichendFriday,30June

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 thisexcitingnewoffering,curatedforyouby theRMA23conferenceteam

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LISBON TO BE THE EPICENTER OF THE 25TH WONCA WORLD CONFERENCE

The Portuguese Association of General and FamilyMedicine(APMGF)isactivelyengaged in promoting the upcoming 25th WONCA WorldConference,scheduledtotakeplacein Lisbonin2025

Thiseventwillbeorganizedincollaboration with WONCA Europe Region, further emphasizing the collective effort and dedication of the Portuguese medical community in contributing to the global healthcarelandscape.

Portugal stands out as the third mostrepresented country at the 28th WONCA European Conference in Brussels, Belgium, with197participants,trailingcloselybehind Belgium and the Netherlands The Portuguese delegation has made a remarkable impact on the conference, with 75 posters by Portuguese authors being acceptedforpresentation,alongwith86oral communicationsdeliveredindiverseformats asdefinedbytheorganizingcommittee.

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

WONCA MEETINGS AT THE 76TH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY

On the occasion of the 76th World Health Assembly, WONCA President Anna Stavdal, CEOHarrisLygidakis,andExecutiveMember at Large and WHO Liaison, Prof Val Wass participatedinaseriesofstrategicmeetings 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),andtheBesrourCentretodiscussthe transformation of primary care and the crucial role of family medicine in enabling integratedprimaryhealthservices Theevent aimedtohighlighttheeffortsundertakenby Indonesia and other countries to reorient its healthcare model towards a primary healthcare and people-centred approach Readmorehere.

Duringtheirvisit,theWONCAdelegationheld meetings with Dr Geneviève Moineau and Professor Ricardo León-Borquez from the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), Lucía Pérez Gómez from the InternationalFederationofMedicalStudents 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, directorofthedivisionofNoncommunicable DiseasesatWHO, Dr Slim Slama, unit leader at the NCDs Department, Alarcos Cieza, responsiblefortheVision,Audition,Disability and Rehabilitation Department, to discuss the pivotal role of family doctors in combating Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs)

Duringthesecondandthirddayofactivities, the delegation from WONCA had the opportunity to participate in significant meetingswithkeyWorldHealthOrganization (WHO) experts Among them were Dr Jim Campbell,theHealthWorkforceDirector,and DrJohnFogarty,theWHOofficerresponsible for Integrated Health Services, Clinical Services,andSystems

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

SIDE EVENT: ON THE ROAD TO TRANSFORMATION OF HEALTH: INTEGRATED PRIMARY CARE SERVICES AND THE ROLE OF FAMILY MEDICINE

OnMay22nd,2023,theMinistryofHealthof Indonesia hosted a side-event in collaborationwithWONCA,theWorldHealth Organization (WHO), and the Besrour Centre to discuss on the transformation of primary careandthecrucialroleoffamilymedicinein enabling integrated primary health services. The event aimed to highlight the efforts undertakenbyIndonesiaandothercountries 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.Recognisingtheneedforchange,the Ministry of Health of Indonesia launched six pillars of health transformation, with the transformationofprimarycaredeliverybeing a key focus The objective of this transformation is to enhance promotive and preventive services, including strengthened preventive efforts, early detection, health promotion,infrastructuredevelopment,wellequipped facilities, human resource development,andimprovedmanagementof 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 Indonesianpeoplehaveahappy,healthylife and well-being I strongly believe that the best wealth is health” stated the Minister of HealthofIndonesia,BudiG 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 integratedprimaryhealthservices.Theevent also featured WONCA President, Dr Anna Stavdal; Dr Raymond Bruce J. Aylward, AssistantDirector-General(UHC,LifeCourse) 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 BesrourCenter

“Now,morethanever,whattheworldneeds is: High-quality Primary Care” expressed Dr Anna Stavdal “A close-to-home, healthcare hub,thatfunctionsinseamlesscollaboration with Social Care and Public Health services, as well as with hospitals That requires strong, interprofessional teams, with qualifiedFamilyDoctor”.

Theeventtookplaceinahybridformat,with an in-person meeting at Room Foyer A, Fairmont Grand Hotel, Geneva, and remote participationviaZoom.

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

This side-event served as a significant step forwardinthejourneytowardsstrengthening primarycareandachievingintegratedhealth services The outcomes and lessons learned fromthiseventwillcontributetotheongoing efforts of countries worldwide to transform their healthcare systems for the betterment oftheirpopulations

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 andWHOLiaison,ProfValWass

On the ocasion of the WHA, WONCA elivered three constituency statements related to multiple agenda items, including item 151 onStrengtheningWHOpreparednessforand responsetohealthemergencies;item161on Well-being and health promotion; and item 131 on Universal health coverage: “Reorienting health systems to primary health care as a resilient foundation for universal health coverage and Preparations forahigh-levelmeetingoftheUnitedNations General Assembly on universal health coverage” The statement on this last item wasdeliveredonbehalfofWONCAandother organizationsbyDrMercyWanjala,Executive member of the WONCA Working Party on Rural Practice and WONCA Rural Seeds AmbassadorforAfricaRegion.

READ

1(AgendaItem131)ConstituencyStatement 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 Assemblyonuniversalhealthcoverage

2 NSAConstituencyStatement:Agendaitem 151 Strengthening WHO preparedness for andresponsetohealthemergencies

3 ConstituencyStatement:AgendaItem161 Well-beingandhealthpromotion

ENHANCING NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASE CARE

WONCA President, Dr Anna Stavdal, CEO Dr Harris Lygidakis, and Prof. Val Wass, ExecutiveMember-at-LargeandWHOLiaison met experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Bente Mikkelsen, directorofthedivisionofNoncommunicable Diseases at WHO, Dr Slim Slama, unit leader at the NCDs Department, Alarcos Cieza, responsiblefortheVision,Audition,Disability andRehabilitationDepartment.

The meeting centered around exploring strategies to enhance NCD care and address the pressing challenges associated with thesediseases Keytopicsdiscussedincluded 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 multidisciplinaryteams,holisticapproaches, and the need for practical implementation strategies

The reunion highlighted the significance of testimony and awareness-building in combating NCDs The participants emphasizedtheneedtoengagestakeholders at various levels, including mayors, community health workers, and the broader health workforce, to create people-centered care and raise awareness about NCD preventionandmanagement

Given the limited resources and challenges faced, collaboration between WHO and WONCA was emphasized as a vital approach totacklingNCDseffectively

Given the limited resources and challenges faced, collaboration between WHO and WONCA was emphasized as a vital approach totacklingNCDseffectively

The NCDs served as a platform for experts fromWHOandWONCAtocometogetherand 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 healthoutcomesglobally

WONCA AND THE WORLD FEDERATION OF MEDICAL EDUCATION

DuringtherecentWorldHealthAssembly76, representativesfromtheWorldOrganization 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 WorldFederationofMedicalEducation

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 medicaleducation

We extend our gratitude to Dr Geneviève Moineau and Professor Ricardo LeónBorquezfortheirvaluablecontributionsand insightfuldiscussionduringthismeeting.

ABOUT THE WORLD FEDERATION FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION (WFME)

The World Federation for Medical Education is a non-governmental organisation working to enhance the quality of medical education worldwidethroughpromotionofthehighest scientific and ethical standards in medical education.

#EYFDM2023 PRECONFERENCE

The EYFDM 2023 Preconference in Brussels providedaplatformforyoungfamilydoctors to gather, learn, and collaborate, strengtheningtheirroleinshapingthefuture of primary healthcare With an emphasis on professional development, collaboration, andtheintegrationoftechnology,thisevent setthestageforthenextgenerationoffamily doctors to bring positive change to healthcare systems across Europe and beyond.

WONCA EUROPE 2023

WONCAPresident,DrAnnaStavdaldedicated a few words to family doctors around the world during the opening ceremony of WONCAEurope2023inBrussels,Belgium

During her speech, Dr Stavdal underscored the unparalleled significance of global solidarityamongfamilydoctorsandstressed 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 FamilyDoctors”

The opening ceremony included the first keynote lecture of the conferences, titled "Preparing for the future: resetting public healthatthecoreofourhealthcaresystem," delivered by Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium’sMinisterofSocialAffairsandPublic Health.

Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium’s Minister of Social Affairs and PublicHealth /Credit:Guarant

WONCAPresident,DrAnnaStavdal/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

DiscoverthecompleteGalleryHERE

ProfShlomoVinker,PresidentofWONCAEurope /Credit:Guarant

AuroreGirard,Chairofthe HostOrganizingCommittee/ Credit:Guarant

AAnnVandenBruel,Chairofthe HostOrganizingCommittee/Credit:Guarant

WONCA EXPERTS HIGHLIGHTED AT SUCCESSFUL EUROPE CONFERENCE

The highly anticipated WONCA Eu Conference, held in Brussels, Belgium June 7-10, 2023, concluded last week resounding note of success. The confe brought together an esteemed gatheri primary healthcare professionals, ex andleadersfrom77countries,facilitati enriching exchange of knowledge and toshapethefutureofprimaryhealthcar

Underthethemeofcollaborativehealt innovation, the conference served platform for participants to delve ground-breaking strategies advancements aimed at transfo primaryhealthcarepractices

Attendees were treated to a comprehe program featuring insightful ke speeches, interactive workshops, discussions, and poster presenta addressing a wide range of topics cruc thefield.

WONCAWorkingParty:Women&FamilyMedicine

Dr VivianaMartinez-Bianchi

Prof Christos Lionis Chair of WP on Mental Health, and Dr Özden Gökdemir,ChairofWONCAWokingPartyonEnvironment

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.Theiractiveengagementinvarious sessions, workshops, and discussions enriched the conference program and providedvaluableperspectivesonthefuture ofprimaryhealthcare

Discover more information about the OpeningeventHERE.

For more information about the upcoming WONCA Conferences, please visit wwwglobalfamilydoctorcom

ElenaKlusova-WONCASpecialInterestGrouponEmergencyMedicine

DrAnaCebrián,WONCASpecialInterestGroup:Non-communicablediseases DrVictorNg-WPonEducation

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BAHRAINI FAMILY PHYSICIANS ASSOCIATION

The Bahrain Medical Society has approved the activation of the Bahraini Family Physicians Association The Board of Directorswaselectedasfollows:

ProfDrFaisalAlnaserPresident DrAmalDawoodVicePresident DrAliAlbaqaraGeneralSecretary DrBashayerHabeeb,Treasurer DrHanaAlfayezBoardMember

Prof Alnaser stated that a few of the most important goals of the association are to consolidatetheconceptoffamilymedicinein society, improve family medicine services in theKingdom,strengthenthestatusoffamily 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 organizingeducationalcourses,conferences, andseminarsonaregionalandinternational 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,bothregionallyandinternationally.

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 FamilyPracticeResidencyProgram(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 promotionofthespecialtyintheGulfandthe Arabregions

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 thatareheldtograduatefamilyphysiciansin theArabworld.

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 climatecrisis.

Climatechangeisalreadyhavingwidespread impactsonhumanhealth Asfrontlinehealth workers we are increasingly responding to healthemergenciestriggeredbytheclimate crisis Yetinthefaceofincreasingharmand suffering, new fossil fuel resources continue to be developed and greenhouse gas emissionscontinuetorise.

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 endtheproliferationoffossilfuels

TheWorldHealthOrganizationhascalledfor aFossilFuelNonProliferationTreatyandan endtofossilfuelsubsidies Wethereforejoin these calls, and urge all Governments to adopt the following as urgent health interventions:

• End expansion of any new fossil fuel infrastructureandproduction

• Phase out existing production and use of fossilfuels.

• Remove fossil fuel subsidies and invest in renewableenergy

• 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 byrenewableenergy

WONCA SIG POLICY ADVOCACY WEBINARJUNE 22ND

SETTING OUR PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT BIENNIUM WHAT WILL HELP WONCA MOST?

BACKGROUND

The SIGPA was set up in the last biennium, aimingtobuildcapacityforpolicyadvocacy by family doctors at national and local level We have run webinars, shared evidence on howtohandlepowerandcreatechange,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 sharesomeideasaboutprioritiesforourSIG, andgetyourviews Thisinitselfisalearning exercise–howtodecidewhatmattersmost, andhowtoactonit!Sojoinus.

TIMES

To accommodate different time zones, we shallruntwowebinars–

0700

and1600-1730UTC-RegisterHERE

Chairs–AmandaHoweandShabirMoosa

Panelspeakers - to give us their views on whatcanwork,andwhattoprioritisetohelp 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 WONCAExecutive

FORMAT

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-homepoints”thatwillhelp the SIGPA Exec to form a further proposal, which will then be shared on the Portal so members can feed back ahead of October, whenprogrammecanbefinalised.

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 associationmoreeffective?WhatwouldIlike them to do over the next 2 years? Who else needstobeinvolvedforthistowork?”

Seeyousoon!

DISCOVER THE NEW WONCA SIG ON INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

The WONCA Special Interest Group on IntegrativeCaresupportsWONCA'svisionby promotingintegrativemedicineforuniversal health coverage and sustainable development Itprovidesaforumfordoctors practising traditional medicine to exchange knowledge, enhancing their understanding ofdifferenthealingmodalities.

Withanevidence-basedapproach,thegroup 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

FindmoreinformationHERE

CHAIR

DrSoniaTsukagoshi(UK)

CO-CHAIRS

DrSankhaRandenikumara(SriLanka)

DrChristoferPatrickReichel(Austria)

DrUmaSenthilkumar(UAE)

DrDimitriosAlepidis(Cyprus)

This group aims to support WONCA's vision by harnessing the potential of integrative medicine for universal health coverage and sustainabledevelopmentgoals Theyseekto provide a platform for doctors who practice traditional medicine, improve awareness of evidence-based modalities, and enhance physician confidence in discussing and differentiatingbetweentreatmentoptions

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,sharinginformationandbestpractices, andcollaboratingwiththeWHO.

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

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 yoursupportthroughsocialmedia,wewant tohearallaboutit!

Please note that by submitting your activitiesandphotos,youconfirmyouhave 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 40 International (CC BY-NC-SA) license

Together,wecanmakearealimpact!Thank you for being an invaluable part of this celebration!

Make a difference in global healthcare by supportingWONCAandFamilyDoctors!

AstheWorldOrganizationofFamilyDoctors, we represent over half a million family doctors around the globe At WONCA, we firmly believe that access to quality healthcareisafundamentalhumanright.

Help us give family doctors a global voicedonatetoWONCAtoday!

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

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

3 Weadvocateforstrongerfamilymedicine, primaryhealthcareandglobalhealthequity throughpartnershipsandpolicyinfluenceat the World Health Organization (WHO). WONCAistheirvoice!

Celebrate World Family Doctor Day by helping us on the critical mission of improvingthequalityoflifeofthepeopleof theworld. Join World Family Doctor Day 2023 and honourtheincredibleworkoffamilydoctors everywhere

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 –andfindmorejoyinlifeandwork

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 adapttoglobalandlocalpublichealthcrises, which are impacting on the mental and physical health of every community – and everydoctor

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–ahealthyworkenvironmentthat protectsdoctorsagainstburnoutandmental 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.Forexample,inthelastfewyears ofthepandemic,groupsofdedicatedfamily 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;rolloutneweducationandtraining

programs;andprovidestrongadvocacyona 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 aboutnavigatingcareerchallenges“thehard way” through bitter experience. In recent times,thepandemicandotherpublichealth 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 andundertreate

We can do so much more to care for our colleaguesinthesecircumstances

Every Doctor confronts all these challenges andprovidespracticalsolutionsbasedonthe 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 Doctorisacelebrationofthegrowingglobal interconnectednessandthechangingfaceof themedicalprofession

Please consider gifting the new edition to a newcolleague–butpleasereaditfirst!

Formoreinformation:

https://routledge.pub/Every-Doctor

There is a 20% discount with promo code ESA31

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

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 1000 am CET This webinar series aims to bring together general practitioners andfamilyphysiciansfromaroundtheworld to discuss various aspects of primary care andfamilymedicine

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,thesessionwillhavepresenters fromdifferentcontinents,includingDr Maria del Rocio Hernandez Soto from Spain, Dr. Patrick O'Donnel from Ireland, Dr. Mona Osman from Lebanon, and Dr Hema Latha NaidufromMalaysia

The focus of this session will be on the provisionofcareforacomplexcaseinvolving social deprivation in various countries Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the strategies and approaches employedbygeneralpractitionersandfamily physicians in different parts of the world It willbeanenlighteningexperiencetoexplore how primary care professionals address the challenges posed by social deprivation and ensurecomprehensivecarefortheirpatients

Furthermore, the webinar aims to delve into thevalueoffamilymedicineandprimarycare 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 systemsworldwide

The session will commence at 10.00 am CET andrununtil1130amCET Participants can access the webinar through the provided ZOOMLINK

It is essential to note the starting time in differenttimezones:11aminLebanon,3pm inBangkokandJakarta,400pminMalaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, 6.00 pm in Australia,and800pminNewZealand

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 presenterspromisetooffervaluableinsights into the challenges and advancements in primarycarepracticesworldwide Don'tmiss this opportunity to engage in a global conversation on the future of primary care andfamilymedicine.

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”

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the largest and most rapid disruption to the practicesandtrainingoffamilyphysicians 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 Centrepartnerstohelpfamilyphysiciansand 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 moduleaimstoapplypracticalknowledgeto improve the quality and efficiency of care duringthepandemic

Startthislearningmodulehere.

Seriesoffivemodulesfocusonglobalhealth emergency competencies with five themes The modules; Community-based research, chronicdiseaseandmentalhealthhavebeen released. Final 2 modules; virtual education anddisasterpreparednesswillbereleasedin thecomingmonths

Modulesavailableforfreehere

WHAT IS FM PIVOT?

DiscovertheBesrourCentreforGlobalFamily Medicine:FMPivotModules