WONCA News March 2023

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

CONTENT

PRIMARY

WONCA APR- SPRING CONFERENCE OF THE TAIWAN ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY MEDICINE (TAFM)

WONCA SYDNEY INITIAL SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED

WONCA EUROPE 2023

WONCA CIMF 2023

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Wearecelebratingthe50thyearofWONCA`s existence at a moment of increased global uncertainty, in the wake of a pandemic that has slammed into all sectors of society, of horrific natural catastrophes, of devastating armed conflicts, some spotlighted, others overlooked

Itwouldseemsensibletopromiseourselves we’ll stop and reconsider our basic values andaims Notnow,butjustassoonasthings calmdown Givenoururgencytoact,wemay brand it foolhardy, self-indulgent, even downright dangerous, to prioritize reflection now,inthemidstofupheaval

my 2021 Inauguration as WONCA President

“For a definition to impact identity, members need to have a stake in it, that sense of ownership that comes from having won it for themselves”

AS-From

However:Imaginediscovering,inthemiddle ofalife-and-deathjourney,thatyou’vebeen navigating according to an outdated map There’s no way you’d simply keep on going You’dcryoutforanupdate,shockedthatyou hadn’trealizedtheproblemearlier.

At the same time and pace, WONCA has grown from a small sort of ‘club’ into an internationalprofessionalorganization–the only global network for Family Doctors. The organization’scomplexityhasalsoincreased astherealitiesofthedifferentlocalcontexts are integrated into its structure Helping to bridge this diversity of contexts is that hallmark of Primary Care in general, and of FamilyMedicineinparticular:

Theimplementationofthebasicprinciplesof our specialty is dependent on local context. Consequently, any process to conceptualize relevant definitions will require dynamic interaction We ourselves, the Family Doctors, must be involved in the fundamental thinking, in discussing what course-adjustments to make, and, crucially, in pinpointing and addressing those inequitiesinthedefinitionanduseofpower thathaveemergedwithinourhighlycomplex internationalcommunity.

We’ll celebrate WONCA’s 50th Anniversary this October, in Sydney, Australia, where WONCAwasfoundedbackin1972 Thisisan opportunity to take stock – once again! – to update our map of the aims and values Family Doctors share globally, to acknowledge the impressive and inspiring diversityofthecontextsweliveandworkin. We can do this now, not despite the world’s ongoing upheavals but precisely because of them

A BIT OF BACKGROUND

During the last not-so-calm half-century, Family Medicine has emerged as a widely recognized clinical specialty, complete with its own curriculum and research base The historic breakthrough in that journey began in high-income, Western countries, with the development of the field as an academic disciplinebeingledbypeopleinthosesame countries Impressively soon, Family Medicine expanded and our specialty has been recognized in a steadily increasing number of countries within each of our regions,althoughnotyetinallofthem

Allthishasbeenmadepossibleinlargepart thanks to the contributions of our WONCA predecessors. They invested time and substantial effort in reflecting on how to define our specialty and describe our role Their insights underpin much of the development of relevant curricula for undergraduate and postgraduate training, andofresearchagendas Notleast,theyhave helpedFamilyDoctorstoseethecontoursof ourownworkingmodelandmethods,andto recognizehowthesedifferfromotherclinical specialties,thosethataredefinedintermsof organsystems Thatinturnhelpsusdevelop ways to explain such differences to coworkers and stakeholders, within and outsidehealthcare

Societal changes and trends reshape healthcare. The effects of demographics, nature, religion, and general values within societiesalsoimpactthewayhealthsystems evolve structurally Economics plays a huge role,asdoespolitics Aschangecomes,ithits

Primary Care first; we are the doorway, people’spoint-of-entryintohealthcare

Besides: Things never do calm down

Change is an existential constant!

The services we deliver within the community are tailored to meet local needs

A bit more of my Presidential Inauguration Speechseemsappropriatetorepeathere:

"Let’s consider how to improve the dialogues between the parts of our community – vertically, between the global, regional and local level organizations, and – horizontally, among WPs and SIGs I’m especially looking forward to including young doctors in these dialogues

But, remember: understanding our field is not something we do once and then we ’ ve got it It’s an ongoing process Life-long

A strong sense of identity requires us to know both who we are and what we share, what unites us Our values are our guiding principles

At the same time, practices and standards vary in different contexts, particularly when it comes to local needs and what the public demands We can recognize our differences better when we ’ re aware of our common ground, and be better prepared to meet the challenges we face"

IN CONCLUSION – OR RATHER: TO BEGIN AGAIN

The project to start A Global Brainstorming Process on the Core Values of Family Medicine is launched. At the WONCA World conferenceinSydneywewilldiscussinmore detail.

I invite you to begin now to prepare for this collaborativeprocess:

Myhopeisthatwe–together–canconducta broad choir of professional voices I need your input Share your thoughts and products,wehaveaninboxdesignated.Write to:CoreValues@wonca.net

Yourvoicematters.

Please reflect on the values that mean most to you as a healthcare professional – both personally, within your specific context, and globally, within our shared profession

MONTEGUT SCHOLAR AWARD

SUPPORTED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD OF FAMILY MEDICINE FOUNDATION

We are pleased to announce that the application for the Montegut Global Scholar Program(MGSP),sponsoredbytheAmerican BoardofFamilyMedicineFoundation,isnow open!

The Montegut Global Scholars Program (MGSP) was established by the American BoardofFamilyMedicineFoundation(ABFMF) in 2010 The American Board of Family Medicine(ABFM)isamemberoftheAmerican Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) The ABFM-F is a supporting organisation of the ABFM Its primary mission is to support the ABFM’sresearchandscholarlyactivities

ALAIN MONTEGUT MD

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

A PROGRAM FOR WONCA REGIONAL MEETING ATTENDANCE.

The MGSP was established to foster international education, research, and collaboration in the specialty of family medicine. It will support the attendance of family physicians from Africa, Asia Pacific, East Mediterranean, Europe Iberoamericana, NorthAmerica,andSouthAsiaRegionsofthe international organization of family physicians (WONCA) to any WONCA regional conferenceof2022

For further information on the MGSP click here.

APPLICATION PROCESS

InterestedcandidatesmustfillouttheMGSP Application and send it to their respective WONCARegion.

The application deadline is Friday 19 May 2023 at 17:00 UTC No applications will be acceptedafterthedeadline

Applications will be reviewed by the MGSP Regional Committees and the selected regionalcandidateswillbesharedwithABFM forfinalapprovaloftheScholarshipwinners

WONCA REGIONS’ CONTACTS WONCAAfrica PresidentAFRICA@woncanet

WONCAAsiaPacific Reg.PresidentAPR@wonca.net

WONCAEastMediterranean PresidentEMR@woncanet

WONCAEurope SecretariatEurope@wonca.net

WONCAIberoamericana-CIMF presidentcimf@woncanet

WONCANorthAmerica PresidentNAmerica@woncanet

WONCASouthAsia PresidentSAR@wonca.net

DOCTOR FAMILY WORLD DAY

WorldFamilyDoctorDay(#WFDD),on19May, isasignificantoccasiontohighlightthevital role and contribution of family doctors and primary care teams in healthcare systems worldwide SinceitsdeclarationbyWONCAin 2010, WFDD has become an annual celebrationthatrecognizesthecentralroleof Family Doctors in delivering personal, comprehensive, and continuous health care topatients.

This day is an excellent opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the progress madeinfamilymedicineandtheexceptional contributionsofprimarycareteamsglobally

On 19 May, let's honour and appreciate the tirelesseffortsoffamilydoctorsandprimary care teams in improving healthcare outcomes and creating healthier communitiesworldwide

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

Family doctors are often perceived as the heartofhealthcareforseveralreasons:

LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP:

Familydoctorsaretypicallythefirstpointof contact for patients seeking medical care. Theyprovidecontinuousandcomprehensive care to patients throughout their lives, building long-term relationships with them This allows them to understand their patients'medicalhistory,lifestyle,andsocial circumstances, and offer personalized care andsupport.

HOLISTIC APPROACH:

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

COORDINATION OF CARE:

Family doctors serve as a central point of coordinationforapatient'shealthcareneeds They work with other healthcare providers, such as specialists and hospitals, to ensure that patients receive the best possible care andavoidduplicationofservices.

ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION:

Family doctors are advocates for their patients, helping them navigate the healthcare system and access the resources theyneed.Theyalsoeducatepatientsabout their health, including how to manage chronic conditions, make healthy lifestyle choices,andpreventillness

Family doctors play a crucial role in promoting the health and well-being of individuals and communities Their dedication, compassion, and expertise make them the Heart of Healthcare, and a trusted sourceofsupportforpatientsandfamilies

WONCA EXPERTS JOIN

“LET’S TALK PRIMARY HEALTH CARE”

The WHO European Centre for Primary HealthCarehostsamonthlytalkshowcalled Let’s Talk Primary Health Care. The show is targeted at policy-makers, influencers, implementers and health managers primarilyintheWHOEuropeanRegion

These dynamic, conversation-style, actively moderated, 1-hour online events explore a giventopicrelatedtostrengtheningprimary healthcare.

Thepaneltypicallyincludes1moderatorand upto4guestswhoareeitherprimaryhealth care experts or national/subnational decision-makers/implementers from MemberStatesoftheWHOEuropeanRegion.

Therehasbeenatotalof11showwhichare availableHERE.

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

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

ThisisnotthefirsttimethatWONCAexperts havecollaboratedonthesebroadcasts.

WONCA Europe Past President, Prof Dr Mehmet Ungan was part of the first episode “Priority setting of PHC services during the pandemic”,whichairedinApril2021

WHAT IS THE ZERODRAFT

OFTHEWHOCA+?

InDecember2021,ataspecialsessionofthe World Health Assembly (WHASS), the WHO’s Member States decided to establish an IntergovernmentalNegotiatingBody(INB)to draftandnegotiateaconvention,agreement, or other international instrument under the Constitution of the WHO to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response(referredtoastheWHOCA+)

InDecember2022,atthethirdmeetingofthe INB, the Conceptual Zero Draft (CZD) of the WHO CA+, including its structure, was considered. It was developed by the Bureau of the INB. The CZD was presented as a bridge between the working draft and the futureZeroDraft(ZD)oftheWHOCA+ Itwas notanofficial/formaldraftoftheWHOCA+

Duringitsthirdmeeting,theINBagreedthat the Bureau, with support from the WHO Secretariat,wouldpreparetheZD,basedon the CZD and input received during the third meetingoftheINB,withlegalprovisions,for consideration by the INB at its fourth meeting, and as a proposed basis for commencing negotiations at the fourth meetingoftheINBinFebruary2023

TheZDisstructuredwithapreamble,vision, andthen8chapters,with38articlesintotal acrossthosechapters Topicscoveredinthe ZD include equity, strengthening and sustaining capacities, coordination, collaboration, and cooperation, and financing for pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery of health systems, in addition to institutional arrangements

SPRING CONFERENCE OF THE TAIWAN ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY MEDICINE (TAFM)

President Anna Stavdal recently delivered the keynote address at the Spring Conference of the Taiwan Association of Family Medicine (TAFM) held at the National ChengKungUniversityCollegeofMedicinein TainanonMarch11thand12th

During her visit, she also participated in a session with young doctors of TAFM to exchange ideas and engage with future Taiwanese family doctors President Stavdal wasgivenatouroftheDepartmentofFamily Medicine, which provided valuable insights into the work being done in this field in Taiwan

WONCA President and Dr Jui-Yuan Hsueh, Minister of Health and Welfare

Prior to the conference, the President met with Dr Jui-Yuan Hsueh, the Minister of Health, and Dr Pi-Sheng Wang, the Deputy Minister of Health The meeting focused on critical topics such as the recruitment, training, and retention of family doctors in Taiwan

Inadditiontotheconference,theTaiwanese hosts organized a three-day program, including visits to the Taipei University Hospital and the Department of Family Medicine. WONCA President was also introduced to the United Safety Medical Group and received an introduction to Taiwanese history and culture Notably, she metwithseveralprominentleadersinpublic healthandfamilymedicineinTaiwan,which wasavaluablenetworkingopportunity

PresidentStavdal'svisittoTaiwanwashighly productive and successful, providing a platform for meaningful exchanges and learning opportunities in the field of family medicine

After the Conference,

WONCA President Anna Stavdal with ShinnJang Hwang, President, Taiwan Association of Family Medicine, and team in Taipei

WONCA President Anna Stavdalm visited the Taipei University Hospital and the Department of Family Medicine

DISCOVERTHEFIRSTEDITIONOF

WONCA EMR NEWS

WONCA EMR launches the first edition of its quarterly newsletter with interesting informationandupdatesfromtheregion

DearColleagues,Members,andFriends,

AsthisisthefirstnumberofourWONCAEMR newswhichwasadreamforus,Iherebysend abigThankYoutoallourcolleaguesfortheir work and effort to make it a reality. It is an extraordinary honor to lead our Wonca EMR and to be asked to write the first column I haveplentytosay,forthefirsttime,Ibelieve that we should document the history of our WONCAEMRandactivitiesduringlastyears

WONCAEMRcameintoexistenceinJuly2007

,during the Wonca Executive meeting in Singapore and professor Nabil Al Kurashi (KSA)wasselectedtoheadthedevelopment of the region followed by Dr. Mohamed El Tarawnh (Jordan) then prof. Jinan Usta (Lebanon)

AlRazimovementwasdevelopedinlate2013 for young and early career practitioners / FamilyMedicinephysiciansintheregion

WONCA`s EMR Vision Is ‘Health for All and a qualifiedFamilyDoctorforEveryFamily’

Current WONCA EMR members are: Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, UAE, Oman, Egypt,MoroccoAlgeria,Afghanistan,Kuwait, PalestineandIslamicRepublicofIran These 13 members represent many thousands of family doctors in the East Mediterranean region.

AlRazimovementwasdevelopedinlate2013 for young and early career practitioners / FamilyMedicinephysiciansintheregion.

As regards our activities we have an annual regional conference (7 congress editions till now) We have a regional research committee that conducted several workshops and produced two multicenter research papers published in European journal of general practice. Also, we celebrateWorldFamilyDoctorDayon19thof May every year individually and in joint activities Moreover, some of our member organizations hold their national conferencesonanannualbase AlRaziYoung doctor movement is dynamic in the region and engages many young physicians in its activities such as workshops for capacity building in research. WONCA EMR received Montegut Scholar Award to support family physicians to attend the regional and the world conferences for about 10 family physicians

We have a very strong collaborations with international agencies especially WHO. The outcomes of these collaborations are: OnLine Training programs for nurses and physiciansinEMRduring2021 andRegional Professional Diploma in Family Medicine in 2022

Iinviteyoutotakethatthefirststepandget involvedintheworkthatwedo Beactivein ourregion,joinouractivities,keepcomingto our conferences, and share your ideas and your energy with us We must all reinforce theroleoffamilymedicineinprovidinghigh quality primary care to all people in our region

FROM THE WONCA EMR PRESIDENT

REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA IN FAMILY MEDICINE

The 63rd session of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Committee (RC63) endorsed Resolution EM/RC63/R2 which requests Member States to “establish bridgingprogrammesonFamilyMedicinefor generalphysicians”

Consequently, WHO in collaboration with UNICEF, the American University of Beirut andtheEasternMediterraneanRegionWorld Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), developed a one-year programme entitled: “Regional Professional Diploma in Family Medicine(RPD-FM).”

TheRPD-FMwaspresentedtothesixtysixth session of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Committee (RC66), from 14 to 17 October 2019, where Member States welcomed its establishment as a bridging programmeinfamilymedicine

The membership of the Committee is as follows:

DrAhmedAlMandhari,RD(Chairman)

• DrRanaHajjeh,DPM(Member)

•DrAwadMataria,Director,UHC/Health Systems(Member).

•DrHassanSalah,RA/PHC(Secretary)

•DrGoharWajid,TechnicalOfficer,HPE (Member)

•DrAhmedMandil,Coordinator,RAI (Member)

•DrSyedNasirShah,UniversityofHealth Sciences,Pakistan(Member).

•Dr.NagwaNashat,MenofiaUniversity, Egypt(Member)

•UNICEFrepresentative(Member)

•AUBrepresentative(Member)

•ProfTagreedFarahat,EMRWONCA President

•DrWadeiaAlSharif,Chairperson,Family MedicineCouncil,ABHS(Member).

•DrMonaOsman,Head,TrainingCommittee, FamilyMedicineCouncil,ABHS(Member)

•DrElsheikhBadr,Chairperson,Community MedicineCouncil,ABHS(Member)

WONCA EMR FIVE STAR DOCTOR 2023

He Participated in the preparation of the strategicplanforthedevelopmentofPHCin the Arab countries 2011-2016 / League of Arab States. Also, he developed a national curriculum of family medicine and he focus on PHC by allocating the fourth year of the residencyprogramatthetrainingcenter He worked on increasing the number of residents admitted annually to the program at MoH to reach 85 annually He received UHCsystemaward2022forFamilyMedicine and PHC Pioneers in EMR region in recognitionforallhisworkinPHC

Hetookpartinthefollowingpositions:

1 Head of Family Medicine in the period 2008-2001.

2 Head of the scientific committee, the advisory board, and the examination committee for family medicine in the JordanianMedicalCouncil2008-2002

3 President of the Jordanian Family MedicineSpecialistAssociationformorethan one session (2015 -to date) and from the Executive Council Membership Center (WONCA) Eastern Mediterranean Region WONCAEMR2020-2014

DR MOHAMMED RASOUL TARAWNEH

4 TheSecretaryGeneraloftheHigherHealth Council2020-2017

5 Assistant Secretary-General Center for Primary Health Care / Ministry of Health 2017-2016

6 Member of the Board of Directors of the Jordanian Breast Cancer Program 2007 - to date

7 Member of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Society for Health Awareness headed byHerMajestyQueenRaniaAlAbdullah2018 todate.

8 Encouraging medical students in Jordanian universities to choose family medicine and contribute, in coordination with the deans of medical faculties to the introduction of the family medicine course forfifthandsixthyearstudents

9. Introducing the application of OSCE / Family Medicine in the Jordan Medical Council (JMC) as the first specialty to adopt this form of examination and developing a nationalbankforquestionsintheJMC

10 Contribution with specialists in WHO/EMRO in the preparation of a book:FamilyPracticeintheEasternMediterranean Region / Primary Health Care for UHC and a reportonScalingupFamilyPracticetowards UHC.

11 Preparing the training material and participating as a trainer in the "PHC Diploma"whichwasimplementedinJordan incooperationwithWHO/AmmanOffice.

12 Preparation a package of guidelines for NCDsinFM/PHCclinicsandtheapplication ofTeam-BasedNCDsManagementinPrimary HealthCare

13. Preparing the foundations for the establishment of comprehensive health centers in the MoH and the foundations of providingthemwithfamilydoctors

14 Training and accreditation of family doctors on the work and management of healthy schools programs and community HealthClinicsintheKingdom.

15 Inclusion of the Family Practice-Based Approach in three health centers in the Central, North and South regions of the Kingdom.

YOUR OPINION MATTERS TO US!

We want to ensure that WONCA News and WONCA EUpdates are meeting your needs and providing valuable information We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to complete our survey Your feedback will help us improve and tailor our content to better inform you!

Your responses will be kept confidential and used for internal purposes only (click here to read WONCA’s privacy policy).

STARTSU

EDUCATION FOR PRIMARY CARE

FREE ACCESS MARCH - APRIL

Prof ValWass,formerChairWONCAWorking PartyonEducation,writesonthelatestopen accessitemsinEducationforPrimaryCare.

In March, Education for Primary Care: 34:1 contains some useful articles including an open-access to a systematic review on international sharing of virtual knowledge and how best to achieve this of importance tousallatWONCA

Discover: "A scoping review of international virtual knowledge exchanges for healthcare professionals"byBernadetaBridgwood,Kate Woolley&AaronPoppleton(2023)

Fortherestofthemonthanduntiltheendof April, Education for Primary Care also offers free access to "European standards for undergraduatemedicaleducationingeneral practice; a blueprint - for action" - Alex Harding, Odd Martin Vallersnes, Francesco Carelli, Nino Kiknadze, Helena Karppinen & AnneSimmenroth(2023)

We thank Taylor and Francis for this valuableconcessiontowidenjournalaccess acrossallourmembers

WORKING PARTY ON QUALITY & SAFETY

INTRODUCING HUMAN FACTOR SCIENCE IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE

The WONCA Working Party on Quality and Safety held a 1.5-hour webinar on introductiontohumanfactorsandtheroleof thisscienceinprimaryhealthcare

ToimplementtheWHOGlobalPatientSafety ActionPlan2021-2030strategy24requiresa strongHumanFactorsperspectiveandinput from primary health care in order to strengthen the resilience of primary care organizationsandclinicalpractices.

This free webinar for healthcare professionals, policy makers, researchers, and medical educators, aimed to explain what human factor science is, how it affects primary health care and Understand shared lessons on human factors from other highriskindustries,suchasaviation

The session was hosted by Prof. Jose M Valderas, Chair of WONCA Working Party on Quality and Safety, Head Division of Family Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine Singapore, and Dr Maud Nauta, GP and WONCAWorkingPartyonQualityandSafety leadonHumanFactors

Theprogrammeincluded:

Introduction: Human factors in Primary HealthCare-whatdoesitmean?

Speaker:DrMaudNautaMRCGPMASPatient SafetyandHealthcareQuality,HumanFactor TrainerandWONCAWorkingPartyonQuality and Safety lead on Human Factors, Affiliate Member Chartered Institute of Ergonomics andHumanFactors

Using a Human Factors Approach to Improve Electronic Health Record (EHR) useinPrimaryCare.

Speaker: John W Beasley MD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Medicine, and Community Health, University of WisconsinandHonoraryAssociateUniversity of Wisconsin School of Engineering, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Lessons learned from Human Factor integrationinAviation.

Speaker: Peter Nataraj, Senior First Officer, and Human Factor Trainer Commercial Aviation

A second webinar is planned for 2023: onhowpracticialhumanfactortoolkits can help in day-to-day primary health care practice. Stay tunned for more informationandregistrationdetails.

PROF. JOSE M VALDERAS

DR MAUD NAUTA

TRAIN THE TRAINER PROGRAM

From March 2019 to October 2020 members of the WONCA Working Party for the EnvironmentrantheWONCAAirHealthTrain the Trainer Program We were motivated by thenumbers:WHOreportsthatairpollution, both outdoor and household, causes an estimated 7 million deaths annually, and is the second leading cause of deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) after tobaccosmoking

However, it is yet to be established in the curriculum of health-care students, with an estimated 11% of the 2817 medical schools surveyed around the world having formal educationonairpollutionandhealthWehad 178 health professionals from 52 different countries apply for the program and we selected73fundedtrainersbasedonfactors such as the impact of air pollution in their country, geographical spread, diversity in health profession, and ability to be successful in engaging other health professionalsonairpollution

After completing two self-directed online training courses, educational videos, and a webinar with presentations from existing trainers and air pollution teaching slides, trainers were ready to take their training to theirlocalcommunities

The depth and breadth of the training delivered by trainers was astonishing Some trainers impressed us by the number of health professionals, school students, workers, and other community members they reached through face-to-face training Several trainers spoke about the health effects of air pollution on television, radio, andpodcasts.

Others improved local and national knowledge and evidence by installing lowcostairpollutionsensorsaroundcommunity health clinics and conducting air pollution research projects, particularly in vulnerable communities, such as pregnant women exposed to household air pollution and inmates exposed to air pollution in a penitentiary

Trainers also built air pollution into school programs, medical guidebooks and one developedamassiveopenonlinecourse.Allin-all, 370 unique training activities were delivered, with an estimated direct reach of 20,940 people and a potential indirect reach estimated in the millions The number and variety of trainings delivered clearly demonstrates what can be achieved by primary care and other health professionals when combining passion and motivation withasmallamountoffunding.Andthiswas achieved while all trainers responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected them partwaythroughtheprogram

Reflectingonthetrainingprogram,thereare severallessonsthatwehavelearnedaround therecruitmentandretentionoftrainers,the training that was delivered to trainers, and the types of activities delivered by trainers We presented these findings in an article recently published in The Lancet Planetary Health.

We now hope to take these lessons we have learned and apply them to a new round of training We are working with WHO to develop a comprehensive training program for healthcare practitioners in air pollution and health, and hope to participate in training our colleagues with this training package To this end, the WONCA Working Party for the Environment is currently seekingfundingtosupportthiseffort

Pleasecontactusifyouareinterested.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF FAMILY MEDICINE IN LAO PDR

Dr Oua Phimmasarn

Deputy Head, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine University of Health Sciences

Vientiane, Lao PDR President, Lao Family Medicine Specialists Association

Since1996TheFacultyofMedicalSciencesat the National University of Laos (now the University of Health Sciences, or UHS), the Lao Ministries of Health and Education, and the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary (UC), Canada, have worked together(Lao-UCPartnership)forthereform of medical education in Laos; a partnership that was formalized in 2000.1,2 The early years of the partnership focused on the reformofundergraduatemedicaleducation: curriculum reform, the introduction of modern teaching and learning techniques, student assessment methods, faculty organizationandadministration

From 2002 the focus became the development of postgraduate training programs.Untilthentherehadbeenlittleor no postgraduate training opportunities of anykindinLaos(2).

TheMinistryofHealthidentifiedthatthefirst postgraduate training priority was for primary health care physicians3, Family Medicine Specialists able to work at rural district hospitals and village health centers where 80% of the Lao population lived Historically, Lao doctors, having only an undergraduate medical education that had little practical clinical experience, had struggled to gain the confidence of their communitiesneededtoworksuccessfullyas primarycarephysiciansintheseisolatedand underservicedruralsettings

Documentary“AWorkingAdventureinLaos” Credit: LightfallProductions

Training objectives for this new Family Medicine Specialist Training Program were developed with the aim to produce family doctors who have the knowledge and skills to practice as generalists, and to work effectively within the communities they serve4,5,6 The Five Star Doctor concept introducedbytheWorldHealthOrganization in 19967 was adapted to reflect the diverse skill set that Family Medicine Specialists would require when working at the district hospital and village health center level, namely: clinician, educator, community leader,healthcaremanager,andresearcher

Rural and community-based training sites were needed to support these training objectives, but the country’s only medical school and teaching hospitals were situated in Vientiane, the capital city The Lao-UC Partnership sought to develop rural-based distributed training sites for the Family Medicine Specialist Training Program. This was achieved through a collaborative mentorshipmodelbetweenLaoPDRandUC physicians based on the “adopt-a-region” concept8 Lao medical education leaders identified four target regional sites (ie, a provincialhospitalanditsassociateddistrict hospitals and village health centers) and recruited local physicians to be Family Medicine Specialist Training Program coordinators UCmedicaleducatorsactivein the Lao-UC Partnership “adopted” one or other of the sites through return visits and the development of collegial relationships with hospital administration and staff Faculty development workshops were deliveredtogetherbyUCandLaophysicians. UCphysiciansrole-modeledpatientcareand medical education methods with a focus on “learning by doing” and acquisition of practical knowledge and skills Systematic traineeassessmentwasintroducedasanew concept Lao colleagues provided bridges within the healthcare system and guidance aroundlocalandculturalneeds.

The Family Medicine Specialist Training Program originally consisted of two years of training, but program review has added a third year beginning in 2022 16 “batches” (classes) have graduated since 2006 and batch 17 is now in their first year of the program.

The program is popular and admission competitive However,thebatchesaresmall in comparison to the county’s need due to limited financial resources in Laos for the support of residents during their postgraduate training Nevertheless, the programhasgraduated230FamilyMedicine Specialists

Salary support for some new physicians is providedbytheMinistryofHealthonaquota basis tied to clinical and geographic need in thecountry.Becausedeliveryofprimarycare is a top priority of the Ministry of Health, Family Medicine Specialists are assigned a significant number of quota jobs and Family Medicine Specialists are now working in every province of the country This has meant that many of the Family Medicine Specialists are working in the provinces, districtsoreventhevillagesfromwhichthey came. Nevertheless, there are never enough quota jobs for all the Family Medicine Specialist Training Program graduates and approximately 20% of these doctors remain outside of the quota system About half of this group have attempted to establish private practices, mostly in Vientiane, but this is financially onerous and competitive. Many of the remaining family medicine specialists are involved in healthcare administration for the Lao government or NGO’s

The Family Medicine Specialists are a new kind of doctor in Laos having all had their undergraduate training in the reformed undergraduateeducationsystemandtrained in the first postgraduate training program designed by the Lao themselves The high quality of the clinical care delivered by Family Medicine Specialists and the diverse “five-star” skill set they possess has been recognizedwithinthehealthcaresystemand bythecommunitiestheyserve Placementof aFamilyMedicineSpecialistinacommunity leadstosignificantincreasesinutilizationof the healthcare system by the local population.1 For the four provinces within which training sites have been established andforwhichaccuratedataisavailable,and despite being relatively young, seventeen Family Medicine Specialists have become directors of district hospitals, three are directors of district public health offices and one is Deputy Director of a provincial hospital.

SimilardegreesofFamilyMedicineSpecialist career advancements have taken place in other provinces, but accurate numbers are not known by the author. Many anecdotes can be shared of the impacts which family medicine specialists have had in their communities

Laos is considered a “least developed nation” and as such the transportation and communication infrastructure leaves much to be desired Compounding this, much of the small population base (by Southeast Asianstandards)livesinvillagecomplexesin mountainous terrain which may be inaccessibleduringtherainyseason.Assuch the Family Medicine Specialists working in district hospitals and village health centres feelasignificantdegreeofisolationandseek opportunities for collegial interaction and continuing medical education (CME) Since 2010, an annual CME conference has been heldatacentrallocation,ledbyLaoandUC faculty. The CME event itself, transportation toandfrom,andaccommodationforFamily Medicine Specialists attending the conference is currently financed by the UC faculty of the Lao-UC Partnership but this sourceoffundingisunstableandalong-term solution is a challenge. The events are attendedbyalargepercentageoftheFamily Medicine Specialists who benefit not only from the educational agenda but also from the collegial, academic and social interactions the event allows For instance, the Lao Family Medicine Specialists Association was initially organized at one such CME event. At another CME event a family medicine specialist textbook of medicine was envisioned, a working committee established, chapter authors identified and within three years the textbook had been completed and printed This was the first textbook of medicine written in the Lao language by Lao authors The textbook was distributed to all District Hospitals and Village Health Centres by the MinistryofHealthandtoallFamilyMedicine Specialists themselves CME opportunities fortheFamilyMedicineSpecialists,delivered inthecommunitiesinwhichtheypractice,is an increasing priority for the Lao-UC Partnership FMS are well aware of how videoconferencing has become so widely availableandacceptedduringthepandemic in order to overcome geographic and environmentaldistancing

PersonalcellphonesandInternetaccessare used widely by Fms for one-on-one interactions.However,nodistricthospitalor village health centre has Internet access for groupevents.Inaddition,permissiontohold zoom events on a larger scale need to be approvedbeforetheycantakeplaceandthis processisslowandchallenging

The Lao Family Medicine Specialists Association was created informally at the 2013 CME event Dr Oua Phimmasarn was elected as its’ President The association does not have any source of financial nor administrativesupport Membershipduesto the association have been considered but can be a significant financial burden especiallyfortheyoungerFMSinpractice.To be considered for support such associations mustapplytoandbeformallyrecognizedby the Ministry of Health Dr Phimmasarn completedthisprocessin2018withherown labour and time beyond her UHS duties and receivedformalrecognitionfromtheMinistry of Health. This has not so far been accompanied by any financial or administrative resources In that year Dr Phimmasarn was reelected as president and twoofherBatch1colleagueselectedasvice presidents Under these circumstances and without knowledgable advice and guidance, the association leadership has not created Terms of Reference or the other parts of a regulatory framework for the FMS Association Communication with the membership as a single entity, considered a minor group e-mail administrative task in developed countries, is far from minor in Laos Signing up for any of the free and widelyavailablepublicemailservices,which may seem straightforward, requires too much English language knowledge for many inLaostocompletethesignup Emailisseen only as a formal and narrow means of communicating Many do not have any form of email account Communications between FMS take place on common social media platforms. This is clearly not a successful strategy for mass communication to its constituents by the leadership of the FMS Association

We are very proud of how we FMS are changing our communities in a very positive way At the same time, we know we are young and inexperienced in many ways, but we seek to learn how to move forward For thisreason,wehopethatawaycanbefound for us to join WONCA and begin our move ontotheworldstage.

Dr Oua Phimmasarn and Dr Noot Sengthavisouk in the Documentary “A Working Adventure in Laos” Credit: LightfallProductions

Prof Mohammad Husni Jamal, WONCA APR President, Dr Oua Phimmasarn, President of Lao Family Medicine Specialists Association and Prof Christopher Brown of the UniversityofCalgary

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023

On 8 March 2023, WONCA joined InternationalWomen'sDay,underthetheme DigitALL: Innovation and technology for genderequality

From the earliest days of computing to the present age of virtual reality and artificial intelligence, women have made untold contributionstothedigitalworldinwhichwe increasingly live Their accomplishments havebeenagainstallodds,inafieldthathas historically neither welcomed nor appreciatedthem

Today, a persistent gender gap in digital access keeps women from unlocking technology’s full potential Their underrepresentation in STEM education and careers remains a major barrier to their participationintechdesignandgovernance. And the pervasive threat of online genderbased violence coupled with a lack of legal recourse too often forces them out of the digitalspacestheydooccupy

At the same time, digital technology is opening new doors for the global empowerment of women, girls and other marginalized groups From genderresponsivedigitallearningtotech-facilitated sexual and reproductive healthcare, the digital age represents an unprecedented opportunity to eliminate all forms of disparityandinequality

On the ocassion, WONCA President Dr Anna Stavdalrecognizedthepivotalroleoffemale family doctors and their tireless work and commitmenttopatient-centredcare

On international Women's Day, and every day, WONCA celebrates the incredible contributions of female healthcare professionals and their crucial role in family medicine

Let's also take this opportunity to support and advocate for equity and access to care forallwomen

Read the inspiring reflections from Dr Elizabeth Reji, chair of the WONCA Working PartyonWomenandFamilyMedicineHERE

Everyyearonthe8thofMarch,International women's day is celebrated to uplift, encourage, and influence women across the globe to rise and be the best versions of themselves within every field including social, political, cultural, economic and scientific activities This year's theme emphasizestheachievementofwomenwho havestrived,workedhardandmadeaname in the field of innovation and technology removinganybiasesandestablishinggender equality. There are so many unsung female heroes that have made significant contributions within innovation and technologyandthiswomen'sday,wewould liketorememberalloftheseheroes

Ihaveseeninspiringstorieseverydayonthe internetincludingwomenwhohavebounced back into careers after being stay at home mothersforyears:LauraBoccanfusogother PhD in computer sciences and has been the forerunner in creating Al enabled classroom tutors for students to assist children with learning disabilities. Similarly, in the field of science, Jennifer Doudna solved the most complex biological structures using X-ray crystallography and was awarded the Nobel prizeinChemistry

Amongst the youngsters, we have women who have started businesses and upskilled more women to join the workforce through innovation and technology Cristina Junqueria cofounded Nubank within fintech to provide services to over 53 million customers.Allthesewomenstrivetowardsa common goal: Creating a world where womencandreamandmaketheirdreamsa reality Thisyear,letussetexamplesbutalso encourage one another to understand the importance of learning and continuously growing

On behalf of the WONCA Working Party on Women and Family Medicine (WWPWFM), I would first like to thank all female family doctors across the world for their contributionsanddedicationtowardsclinical practices especially within women's health andeducation

The only way we can continually progress is by constanfly challenging ourselves and findinginspirationfromeachother Maythis women's day be our reminder to never give uponourdreamsandtoensurethatwecan also be part of the system that breaks the biasesthatsurroundwomen.LetWONCAset anexampleofwomeninmedicineadvancing and creating transparency, equality and innovationthroughtheiractionsandefforts

Let us continue dreaming together, for a dream we have together is what becomes reality

DRELIZABETHREJI WWPWFMCHAIR

"THEREISNOFORCE MOREPOWERFULTHANA WOMANDETERMINEDTO RISE"

INITIAL SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED

The RACGP is getting excited about hosting WONCA2023inSydney.

We’re thrilled to announce that our speaker line-up will include WONCA President Dr Anna Stavdal and Deputy Chief Medical OfficerProfMichaelKiddAM.Otherspeakers include Professor Sandra Eades, and ProfessorTrishGreenhalghOBE

MEET THE SPEAKERS

28TH WONCA EUROPE CONFERENCE

DearFriendsandColleagues,hellotoyouall!

Let’sstartbyintroducingourselves:

My name is Aurore Girard, I am the VicePresident of Société Scientifique de Médecine Générale (member of the Belgian Society for General Practitioners) and I have the privilege to chair the Host Organising Committee for the 28th WONCA Europe conference in Brussels from 7 to 10 June 2023

My name is Ann Van den Bruel - I’m a GP in Antwerp and an Associate Professor at the KU Leuven in Belgium, and the Chair of the ScientificCommitteeofWONCAEurope2023

It is our pleasure to welcome you in the capital of more than 500 million Europeans. As the centre of European culture and institutions,Brusselshasmuchmoretooffer than most people imagine Apart from its famous chocolates and beers, there are almost 90 museums, beautiful parks, architecture,barsandmuchmore.

Our conference theme is “Making choices in primary care” The Scientific Committee is preparing an exciting programme based on original abstracts and contributions from leadinginternationalscientificnetworksand specialinterestgroups.Comingtogetherasa research community, WONCA 2023 will showcase cutting edge research to support primarycareinEurope

The conference will give us all a chance to meet, discuss choices and implement positivechange

SeeyousooninBrussels!

EARLY REGISTRATION FEE CLOSES SOON! REGISTER HERE

Before WONCA World Conference in Sydney 2023, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) are proud to co-host a pre-conference event for ruralandremotedoctors!

The conference will bring together a global community of Rural Generalists, rural consultant specialists, students, doctors in training, supervisors, medical educators and allied-health practitioners to celebrate your passion for delivering safe, culturally appropriate and consistent healthcare to ruralandremotecommunities

About RMA 23

We acknowledge the Muwinina people, the traditional owners of the Land on which we will gather for RMA23 at the Hobart Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hotel Grand Chancellor from Wednesday, 18 OctobertoSaturday,21October

Attending WONCA 2023 on Gadigal Country, Sydney? RMA23 is thrilled to be an official pre-event for the World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA) World Conference, meaningnotonlywillyoucatchupwithand meet colleagues from around Australia, but you will have the unique opportunity to network with rural specialists from around theworldwhileexperiencingtherichculture ofHobart

Join

6TH EMIRATES FAMILY MEDICINE SOCIETY CONGRESS

16 - 19 MARCH 2023

On behalf of the Emirates Family Medicine Society, we would like to heartily invite you, societymembers,annualcongressdelegates, esteemed faculty, committees and industry partners and friends to explore the society website, created as a platform to maintain connectivity and high standards among physicianswhopracticefamilymedicineand realize that a family doctor’s effectiveness depends on up-to-date continuing education.

We are proud of the exclusive scientific partnership between our society and its international scientific partners, the Royal Australian College of GPs, the American Board of Family Medicine, the Canadian College of Family Medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the UK RoyalCollegeofGPs,whichisbuiltonalongtermmutualcollaboration,andwouldliketo invite all interested physicians and healthcare professionals to join us in furthering the profession of the family medicinedoctorbycontinuouslydeveloping their knowledge, skills and practice while stayingconnectedthroughtheirmembership inthesociety.

Your support towards the fulfillment of our mission to ensure that physicians in this region have access to quality continuing medical education, expertise and skills for providing comprehensive healthcare to patients of all ages, genders and diseases is of utmost importance to our society and to the vision of the Emirates Medical AssociationfortheUAEandbeyond

We sincerely hope that you will make the most out of your journey through this website and its content and look forward to meeting you all for many memorably valuable experiences as members of the society!

Yours truly, Dr. Wadeia Sharief President of Emirates Family Medicine Society

EFMS PRESIDENT'S WELCOME MESSAGE

WEBINAR: RETHINKING PATIENT SAFETY IN FAMILY MEDICINE

Wearedelightedtoinviteyoutothesecond webinar of the Primary Care Asia webinar series,aimedatpreviewingkeythemestobe featured at WONCA 2023 (October 2023, Sydney),thatwillbeofpractical,clinicaluse to the Asian general practitioner/family doctor

Qualityinhealthcareandsafecaremeanthe besthealthoutcomesthatarepossible,given the available circumstances and resources consistent with patient-centred care The provision of quality healthcare in a safe environment should be universally available to all peoples. In this webinar, esteemed experts from the WONCA Working Party on Quality & Safety will discuss the latest developments and thinking around improving patient outcomes through building a culture of patient safety in the primarycaresetting

This webinar is brought to you by the PhilippineAcademyofFamilyPhysicians,the Malaysian Family Medicine Specialists' Association, the Hong Kong Doctors Union, andMIMSEducation.Joinuson16Mar2023 19:00.

FIND MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTER HERE

2023 WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY THEME

OnbehalfoftheWorldFederationforMental Health's President Dr Nasser Loza and the 2021-2023 Board of Directors, it gives me great pleasure to invite you to participate in choosingthethemeforWorldMentalHealth Daytobeheldon10October2023

WFMHwaslaunchedin1948withtheaimof promoting mental health and citizenship, mutual understanding through co-operation across professional boundaries, the establishment of mental health services in every country of the world and the promotionofeducationaboutmentalhealth, with the aim of empowering people who deliverandreceivementalhealthservices

WFMH established World Mental Health Day in 1992 to expand education about mental health, and it continues this work as its flagshipproject

This year's World Mental Health Day coincideswiththe75thanniversaryofWFMH andweneedathemethattrulymatterstoall of us globally so please support us in choosingone

A special thank you to all those who have contributedsuggestionsforthisyearstheme andtheoneswhohelpedwithitscuration

The theme that gets the highest number of votes will be chosen for this years World MentalHealthDay

This voting process is open globally, so pleaseforwardtheinformationtothepeople aroundyou,invitingthemtohavetheirvoice forglobalmentalhealth

VOTING WILL CLOSE ON FRIDAY 17 MARCH 2023.

ProfessorGabrielIvbijaroMBEJP SecretaryGeneral&CEOWFMH

DISCOVER THE 14 SUGGESTED THEMES AND VOTE

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

THE BESROUR CENTRE: GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE AND IMPACT GRANT

BACKGROUND

The Besrour Centre for Global Family Medicine (Besrour Centre) at the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), thanks to the generous support of the CFPC’s Foundation for the Advancement of Family Medicine (FAFM) and the Fondation Docteur Sadok Besrour, is seeking proposals for a Global COVID-19 pandemic innovation response

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

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

The family practice innovations that are likelytohaveahighdegreeofimpactinclude education innovations, practice innovations, use of technology, and responses that addressequityandinclusion Therequestfor proposal will contribute to the achievement of how family innovative practice will likely haveahighdegreeofimpactinreducingthe long-termharmsofCOVID-19

To achieve this, the Besrour Centre will support two proposals with different targets or approaches that fall into one of the followingcategories:

•New,innovativepracticeduringtheCOVID19 pandemic in family medicine training including curricular changes, interdisciplinary education, or use of virtual curriculumdelivery

• Practice-level innovations that respond to theneedsofkeypopulationsthatlackaccess to care or that the pandemic is targeting unequally

•Innovationstoreducetheimpactofphases threeandfourofthepandemic theburden of delayed and neglected chronic disease, and the mental and other social determinants of health impacts of the pandemic

• Increased effectiveness to advocate for evidence-based, accountable, and equitable healthcarepolicies,policyframeworks,and services

•Projectsonmentalhealthintegrationusing a team-based approach are especially encouraged.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

•Submitter(s)mustbeafamilyphysicianora group of family physicians from a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) including fromdiversecontextslinkedtoauniversity

• Proposed innovations must take place in a primary care setting, and may take a variety offormats

• Submissions may not be for drug trials but may involve innovation for therapeutic delivery/remotesettings

PROJECT FUNDS AND GRANTS

The Besrour Centre aims to support a grant, valued up to C$50,000 in Canadian Dollars (CDN),in2023.

Anexampleofafundableeducationalproject is developing and evaluating virtual educational modules for countries where recentlylaunchedfamilymedicineprograms areatriskofstagnationorregressiondueto thepandemic

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

Applications are open to known Besrour Centre actors as well as potential new academic partners. Applications should not be geared to learners or fellows, but to experiencedacademicsandresearchersfrom LMICs Applications that have academics collaboratingacrosscontextsarefavorable

Furthermore, proposals should outline how we can best increase capacity building for dealing with both emergencies and chronic lack of access to care in view of strengthening health care system resilience The aim is to realize a sustainable initiative where best practices and lessons can be appliedtovariouscontextsinanemergency setting.

DISCOVER THE EUROPREV ELEARNING WEBINARS 2023

Discover the EUROPREV e-learning webinars 2023, a FREE medical education activity EUROPREV e-learning aims to debate interesting topics related to preventive medicine from a very practical perspective With a focus on preventive medicine, these webinars will offer practical insights and encourage open discussion on a variety of relevant topics. You'll have the chance to engage with other participants and share yourthoughtsandquestionsthroughthelive chatfunction

Eachmodulewilllastfor90minutes Thiswill be a continuing medical education activity andforcolleaguesattendingthe4Modules,a CertificateofAttendancecorrespondingtoa 6-hourtrainingactivitywillbeissued. FIND

LSHTM WEBINAR SERIERS: PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: THE HEART OF EVERY HEALTH SYSTEM

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) invites you to a ten-part seminar series that will run from October 2022toJuly2023.

The series provides an overview of the key features and functions of PHC, the potential of PHC in all health systems and its role in achievinguniversalhealthcoverage Sessions drawonexamplesacrossdifferentsettings

For more details and joining instructions follow links" with "For more details, joining instructions and recordings of previous eventsfollowlinks:

1245 – 1345, Wed 5 Oct 2022: Panel Discussion. Primary Health Care: The heartofeveryhealthsystem?

1245 – 1345, Wed 2 Nov 2022, What is PrimaryHealthCare?

12.45–13.45,Wed7Dec2020,Achieving Primary Health Care through MultisectoralActionandPolicy

1245–1345,WedJan2023,Empowering PeopleandCommunities

Feb 2023, Integrating Primary Care and PublicHealth -RE-SCHEDULED

1245–1345,Wed8Mar2023,Financing

PrimaryCare

UPCOMING SESSIONS

1245 - 1345 + 15min extended Q&A (London), Wed 15 March,IntegratingPrimaryCareandPublic 1245–1345,Wed26Apr2023,GettingthePrimaryCare Workforceright

May 2023, Holding it together: Primary Care Infrastructure

Jun2023,Measuring,regulating,andimprovingPrimary Care

Jul23,PanelDiscussion:PrimaryHealthCareattheheart ofeveryhealthsystem-anachievabledream?