WONCA News March 2023

VOL 49 | NUMBER 2

5

Y E A R S

NEWS

2023

M A R C H T H I S

I S S U E

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY

I N C L U D E S

2023 THEME ANNOUNCEMENT

5

Y E A R S

WONCA PRESIDENT DR ANNA STAVDAL (NORWAY) EMAIL: PRESIDENT@WONCA.NET TWITTER: @ASTAVDAL PRESIDENT-ELECT ASSOC PROF KAREN FLEGG (AUSTRALIA) EXECUTIVE MEMBER AT LARGE & HONORARY TREASURER PROF VAL WASS (UK)

WONCA & WHO NEWS

CONTENT FROM THE PRESIDENT

PAGE 3

MONTEGUT SCHOLAR AWARD

PAGE 6

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY 2023

PAGE 7

WONCA & WHO NEWS

PAGE 9

EXECUTIVE MEMBER AT LARGE DR MARÍA PILAR ASTIER PEÑA (SPAIN)

WONCA EXPERTS JOIN “LET’S TALK PRIMARY CARE”

EXECUTIVE MEMBER AT LARGE PROF SHABIR MOOSA (SOUTH AFRICA)

WHAT IS THE ZERO DRAFT OF THE WHO CA+?

REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA AFRICA DR DAN ABUBAKAR (NIGERIA) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA ASIA PACIFIC ASSOC PROF MOHAMMAD HUSNI JAMAL (MALAYSIA) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA EAST MEDITERRANEAN PROF TAGHREED MOHAMED FARAHAT (EGYPT) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA EUROPE PROF SHLOMO VINKER (ISRAEL) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA IBEROAMERICANACIMF ADJ/PROF JACQUELINE PONZO (URUGUAY) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA NORTH AMERICA DR JEFF MARKUNS (USA) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA SOUTH ASIA DR TARIQ AZIZ (PAKISTAN) YOUNG DOCTORS' REPRESENTATIVE DR SANKHA RANDENIKUMARA (SRI LANKA) WONCA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER DR HARRIS LYGIDAKIS WONCA WORLD SECRETARIAT WORLD ORGANIZATION OF FAMILY DOCTORS AVENUE DES ARTS 7-8 1210 BRUSSELS BELGIUM EMAIL: SECRETARIAT@WONCA.NET PHONE: +32 (0) 2 329 00 75 WONCA EDITOR MARIA DOLORES ZAVALA EMAIL: EDITOR@WONCA.NET TRANSLATIONS DR JIE GU DR HUA YANG

WONCA REGIONS

PAGE 11

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

WONCA READERSHIP SURVEY

PAGE 16

WP & SIGS NEWS

PAGE 17

WP ON EDUCATION WP ON QUALITY AND SAFETY WP ON ENVIRONMENT

FEATURED STORIES

PAGE 21

THE DEVELOPMENT OF FAMILY MEDICINE IN LAO PDR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023

WONCA CONFERENCES

PAGE 26

WONCA SYDNEY INITIAL SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED WONCA EUROPE 2023 WONCA CIMF 2023 RMA 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES

PAGE 30

FROM THE PRESIDENT M A R C H 2 0 2 3

WONCA NEWS

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

A N I N V I T A T I O N T O A G L O B A L B R A I N S T O R M I N G P R O C E S S We are celebrating the 50th year of WONCA`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…

“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.”

A.S.-From my 2021 Inauguration as WONCA President

3

It would seem sensible to promise ourselves we’ll stop and reconsider our basic values and aims. Not now, but just as soon as things calm down. Given our urgency to act, we may brand it foolhardy, self-indulgent, even downright dangerous, to prioritize reflection now, in the midst of upheaval.

F R O M

T H E

WONCA NEWS

P R E S I D E N T

However: Imagine discovering, in the middle of a life-and-death journey, that you’ve been navigating according to an outdated map.

There’s no way you’d simply keep on going.

You’d cry out for an update, shocked that you hadn’t realized the problem earlier.

Besides: Things never do calm down.

Change is an existential constant!

We’ll celebrate WONCA’s 50th Anniversary this October, in Sydney, Australia, where WONCA was founded back in 1972. This is an 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 diversity of the contexts we live and work in.

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 discipline being led by people in those same countries. Impressively soon, Family Medicine expanded and our specialty has been recognized in a steadily increasing number of countries within each of our regions, although not yet in all of them.

At the same time and pace, WONCA has grown from a small sort of ‘club’ into an international professional organization – the only global network for Family Doctors. The organization’s complexity has also increased as the realities of the different local contexts are integrated into its structure. Helping to bridge this diversity of contexts is that hallmark of Primary Care in general, and of Family Medicine in particular:

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

All this has been made possible in large part 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, and of research agendas. Not least, they have helped Family Doctors to see the contours of our own working model and methods, and to recognize how these differ from other clinical specialties, those that are defined in terms of organ systems. That in turn helps us develop ways to explain such differences to coworkers and stakeholders, within and outside healthcare.

Societal changes and trends reshape healthcare. The effects of demographics, nature, religion, and general values within societies also impact the way health systems evolve structurally. Economics plays a huge role, as does politics. As change comes, it hits Primary Care first; we are the doorway, people’s point-of-entry into healthcare.

4

The implementation of the basic principles of 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 inequities in the definition and use of power that have emerged within our highly complex international community.

F R O M

T H E

WONCA NEWS

P R E S I D E N T

A bit more of my Presidential Inauguration Speech seems appropriate to repeat here:

IN CONCLUSION – OR RATHER: TO BEGIN AGAIN

"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.

The project to start A Global Brainstorming Process on the Core Values of Family Medicine is launched. At the WONCA World conference in Sydney we will discuss in more detail.

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."

I invite you to begin now to prepare for this collaborative process:

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.

My hope is that we – together – can conduct a broad choir of professional voices. I need your input. Share your thoughts and products, we have an inbox designated. Write to: CoreValues@wonca.net Your voice matters.

D R

5

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

W O N C A

A W A R D S

WONCA NEWS

MONTEGUT S C H O L A R

A W A R D

SUPPORTED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD OF FAMILY MEDICINE FOUNDATION

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

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

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

For further information on the MGSP click here.

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

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

APPLICATION PROCESS

WONCA North America PresidentNAmerica@wonca.net

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

WONCA South Asia PresidentSAR@wonca.net

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

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

6

FIND MORE INFORMATION HERE

W O R L D

F A M I L Y

D O C T O R

D A Y

WONCA NEWS

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

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

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

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

Family doctors are often perceived as the heart of healthcare for several reasons: LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP: Family doctors are typically the first point of contact for patients seeking medical care.

They provide continuous and comprehensive care to patients throughout their lives, building long-term relationships with them.

This allows them to understand their patients' medical history, lifestyle, and social circumstances, and offer personalized care and support.

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

COORDINATION OF CARE: Family doctors serve as a central point of coordination for a patient's healthcare needs.

They work with other healthcare providers, such as specialists and hospitals, to ensure that patients receive the best possible care and avoid duplication of services.

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

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 source of support for patients and families.

FAMILY DOCTORS:

THE HEART OF HEALTHCARE 7

W O R L D

F A M I L Y

D O C T O R

D A Y

WONCA NEWS

WE ARE

ON OUR WAY

#WFDD2023 14 MARCH #WFDD2023 Theme Announcement on WONCA News

18 APRIL

NEW LOGO

#WFDD2023 Tookit Launch!

APRIL - MAY A month for #WFDD2023 Awareness

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY 8

18 JULY

Activities Report WONCA NEWS

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

&

W H O

N E W S

WONCA EXPERTS JOIN

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

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

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

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

There has been a total of 11 show which are available HERE. The latest episode of "Lets Talk Primary Health Care" took place on Tuesday, March 7th, from. The session focused on the challenges facing primary healthcare and featured a panel of experts, including Dr María Pilar Astier-Peña, family doctor and WONCA Executive Member at Largewho shared her own experiences.

9

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

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

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

INB

&

W H O

N E W S

THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING BODY

WHAT IS THE

ZERO DRAFT OF THE WHO CA+?

In December 2021, at a special session of the World Health Assembly (WHASS), the WHO’s Member States decided to establish an Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement, or other international instrument under the Constitution of the WHO to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (referred to as the WHO CA+).

In December 2022, at the third meeting of the 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 future Zero Draft (ZD) of the WHO CA+. It was not an official / formal draft of the WHO CA+.

During its third meeting, the INB agreed that the Bureau, with support from the WHO Secretariat, would prepare the ZD, based on the CZD and input received during the third meeting of the INB, with legal provisions, for consideration by the INB at its fourth meeting, and as a proposed basis for commencing negotiations at the fourth meeting of the INB in February 2023.

The ZD is structured with a preamble, vision, and then 8 chapters, with 38 articles in total across those chapters. Topics covered in the 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.

10

W O N C A

WONCA NEWS

R E G I O N S

WONCA APR

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 Cheng Kung University College of Medicine in Tainan on March 11th and 12th.

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 was given a tour of the Department of Family Medicine, which provided valuable insights into the work being done in this field in Taiwan.

11

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

W O N C A

WONCA NEWS

R E G I O N S

After the Conference, WONCA President Anna Stavdalm visited the Taipei University Hospital and the Department of Family Medicine.

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

In addition to the conference, the Taiwanese 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 met with several prominent leaders in public health and family medicine in Taiwan, which was a valuable networking opportunity.

President Stavdal's visit to Taiwan was highly productive and successful, providing a platform for meaningful exchanges and learning opportunities in the field of family medicine.

12

W O N C A

WONCA NEWS

R E G I O N S

DISCOVER THE FIRST EDITION OF

WONCA EMR NEWS WONCA EMR launches the first edition of its quarterly newsletter with interesting information and updates from the region.

FROM THE WONCA EMR PRESIDENT Dear Colleagues, Members, and Friends, As this is the first number of our WONCA EMR news which was a dream for us, I hereby send a big Thank You to all our colleagues for their 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 have plenty to say, for the first time, I believe that we should document the history of our WONCA EMR and activities during last years.

WONCA EMR came into existence in July 2007 ,during the Wonca Executive meeting in Singapore and professor Nabil Al Kurashi (KSA) was selected to head the development of the region followed by Dr. Mohamed El Tarawnh (Jordan) then prof. Jinan Usta (Lebanon).

Al Razi movement was developed in late 2013 for young and early career practitioners / Family Medicine physicians in the region.

WONCA`s EMR Vision Is ‘Health for All and a qualified Family Doctor for Every Family’.

Current WONCA EMR members are: Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, UAE, Oman, Egypt, Morocco Algeria, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Palestine and Islamic Republic of Iran. These 13 members represent many thousands of family doctors in the East Mediterranean region.

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 celebrate World Family Doctor Day on 19th of May every year individually and in joint activities. Moreover, some of our member organizations hold their national conferences on an annual base. Al Razi Young 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 physicians in EMR during 2021. and Regional Professional Diploma in Family Medicine in 2022.

I invite you to take that the first step and get involved in the work that we do. Be active in our region, join our activities, keep coming to our conferences, and share your ideas and your energy with us. We must all reinforce the role of family medicine in providing high quality primary care to all people in our region.

Al Razi movement was developed in late 2013 for young and early career practitioners / Family Medicine physicians in the region.

PROF TAGHREED FARAHAT WONCA EMR PRESIDENT

13

W O N C A

WONCA NEWS

R E G I O N S

REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA IN FAMILY MEDICINE The 63rd session of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Committee (RC63) endorsed Resolution EM/RC63/R.2 which requests Member States to “establish bridging programmes on Family Medicine for general physicians”.

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

The RPD-FM was presented to the sixty sixth session of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Committee (RC66), from 14 to 17 October 2019, where Member States welcomed its establishment as a bridging programme in family medicine.

WONCA EMR FIVE STAR DOCTOR 2023

The membership of the Committee is as follows:

DR MOHAMMED RASOUL TARAWNEH

Dr Ahmed Al Mandhari, RD (Chairman).

• Dr Rana Hajjeh, DPM (Member).

• Dr Awad Mataria, Director, UHC/Health Systems (Member).

• Dr Hassan Salah, RA/PHC (Secretary).

• Dr Gohar Wajid, Technical Officer, HPE (Member).

• Dr Ahmed Mandil, Coordinator, RAI (Member).

• Dr Syed Nasir Shah, University of Health Sciences, Pakistan (Member).

• Dr. Nagwa Nashat, Menofia University, Egypt (Member) • UNICEF representative (Member).

• AUB representative (Member).

•Prof Tagreed Farahat, EMR WONCA President • Dr Wadeia Al Sharif, Chairperson, Family Medicine Council, ABHS (Member).

• Dr Mona Osman, Head, Training Committee, Family Medicine Council, ABHS (Member).

• Dr Elsheikh Badr, Chairperson, Community Medicine Council, ABHS (Member).

He Participated in the preparation of the strategic plan for the development of PHC in 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 residency program at the training center. He worked on increasing the number of residents admitted annually to the program at MoH to reach 85 annually. He received UHC system award 2022 for Family Medicine and PHC Pioneers in EMR region in recognition for all his work in PHC. He took part in the following positions: 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 Jordanian Medical Council 2008-2002.

14

3. President of the Jordanian Family Medicine Specialist Association for more than one session (2015 -to date) and from the Executive Council Membership Center (WONCA) Eastern Mediterranean Region WONCA EMR 2020-2014

W O N C A

WONCA NEWS

R E G I O N S

4. The Secretary General of the Higher Health Council 2020-2017.

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

by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah 2018 to date.

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 for fifth and sixth year students.

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 national bank for questions in the JMC.

10. Contribution with specialists in WHO/EMRO in the preparation of a book: Family Practice in the Eastern Mediterranean Region / Primary Health Care for UHC and a report on Scaling up Family Practice towards UHC .

11. Preparing the training material and participating as a trainer in the "PHC Diploma" which was implemented in Jordan in cooperation with WHO/ Amman Office.

12. Preparation a package of guidelines for NCDs in FM / PHC clinics and the application of Team-Based NCDs Management in Primary Health Care.

13. Preparing the foundations for the establishment of comprehensive health centers in the MoH and the foundations of providing them with family doctors.

14. Training and accreditation of family doctors on the work and management of healthy schools programs and community Health Clinics in the Kingdom.

15

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

READ MORE IN WONCA EMR NEWS

WONCA NEWS

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).

START SURVEY

W P

&

S I G S

N E W S

WONCA NEWS

WORKING PARTY ON EDUCATION

EDUCATION FOR PRIMARY CARE FREE ACCESS MARCH - APRIL Prof Val Wass, former Chair WONCA Working Party on Education, writes on the latest open access items in Education for Primary Care.

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 to us all at WONCA. Discover: "A scoping review of international virtual knowledge exchanges for healthcare professionals" by Bernadeta Bridgwood, Kate Woolley & Aaron Poppleton (2023) For the rest of the month and until the end of April, Education for Primary Care also offers free access to "European standards for undergraduate medical education in general practice; a blueprint - for action" - Alex Harding, Odd Martin Vallersnes, Francesco Carelli, Nino Kiknadze, Helena Karppinen & Anne Simmenroth (2023) We thank Taylor and Francis for this valuable concession to widen journal access across all our members .

PROF VAL WASS WONCA MEMBER AT LARGE FORMER CHAIR - WORKING PARTY ON EDUCATION

17

W P

&

S I G S

N E W S

WONCA NEWS

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 introduction to human factors and the role of this science in primary health care.

To implement the WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030 strategy 2.4 requires a strong Human Factors perspective and input from primary health care in order to strengthen the resilience of primary care organizations and clinical practices.

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 highrisk industries, such as aviation.

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 WONCA Working Party on Quality and Safety lead on Human Factors.

Speaker: Dr Maud Nauta MRCGP MAS Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality, Human Factor Trainer and WONCA Working Party on Quality and Safety lead on Human Factors, Affiliate Member Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors.

A second webinar is planned for 2023: on how practicial human factor toolkits can help in day-to-day primary health care practice. Stay tunned for more information and registration details.

Using a Human Factors Approach to Improve Electronic Health Record (EHR) use in Primary Care.

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

Lessons learned from Human Factor integration in Aviation.

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

The programme included: Introduction: Human factors in Primary Health Care-what does it mean?

18

PROF. JOSE M VALDERAS

DR MAUD NAUTA

W P

&

S I G S

N E W S

WONCA NEWS

WORKING PARTY ON THE ENVIRONMENT

WONCA AIR HEALTH

TRAIN THE TRAINER PROGRAM DR ALICE MCGUSHIN

DR ALAN ABELSOHN

19

W P

&

S I G S

N E W S

From March 2019 to October 2020 members of the WONCA Working Party for the Environment ran the WONCA Air Health Train the Trainer Program. We were motivated by the numbers: WHO reports that air pollution, both outdoor and household, causes an estimated 7 million deaths annually, and is the second leading cause of deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) after tobacco smoking.

WONCA NEWS

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 education on air pollution and health.We had 178 health professionals from 52 different countries apply for the program and we selected 73 funded trainers based on factors 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 professionals on air pollution.

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 their local communities.

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, and podcasts.

Others improved local and national knowledge and evidence by installing lowcost air pollution sensors around community 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 developed a massive open online course. 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 with a small amount of funding. And this was achieved while all trainers responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected them partway through the program.

Reflecting on the training program, there are several lessons that we have learned around the recruitment and retention of trainers, 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 seeking funding to support this effort.

Please contact us if you are interested.

WORKING PARTY ON THE ENVIRONMENT 20

F E A T U R E D

S T O R I E S

WONCA NEWS

WONCA APR

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

Since 1996 The Faculty of Medical Sciences at 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-UC Partnership) for the reform of medical education in Laos; a partnership that was formalized in 2000.1,2 The early years of the partnership focused on the reform of undergraduate medical education: curriculum reform, the introduction of modern teaching and learning techniques, student assessment methods, faculty organization and administration.

The Ministry of Health identified that the first 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 communities needed to work successfully as primary care physicians in these isolated and underserviced rural settings.

From 2002 the focus became the development of postgraduate training programs. Until then there had been little or no postgraduate training opportunities of any kind in Laos (2).

Documentary “A Working Adventure in Laos”. Credit: Lightfall Productions

21

F E A T U R E D

S T O R I E S

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 serve.4,5,6 The Five Star Doctor concept introduced by the World Health Organization 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, health care manager, and researcher.

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 mentorship model between Lao PDR and UC physicians based on the “adopt-a-region” concept.8 Lao medical education leaders identified four target regional sites (i.e., a provincial hospital and its associated district hospitals and village health centers) and recruited local physicians to be Family Medicine Specialist Training Program coordinators. UC medical educators active in 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 delivered together by UC and Lao physicians.

UC physicians role-modeled patient care and medical education methods with a focus on “learning by doing” and acquisition of practical knowledge and skills. Systematic trainee assessment was introduced as a new concept. Lao colleagues provided bridges within the healthcare system and guidance around local and cultural needs.

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.

WONCA NEWS

The program is popular and admission competitive. However, the batches are small 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 program has graduated 230 Family Medicine Specialists.

Salary support for some new physicians is provided by the Ministry of Health on a quota basis tied to clinical and geographic need in the country. Because delivery of primary care 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, districts or even the villages from which they 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 undergraduate education system and trained 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 recognized within the healthcare system and by the communities they serve. Placement of a Family Medicine Specialist in a community leads to significant increases in utilization of the healthcare system by the local population.1 For the four provinces within which training sites have been established and for which accurate data is available, 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.

22

Similar degrees of Family Medicine Specialist 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 Asian standards) lives in village complexes in mountainous terrain which may be inaccessible during the rainy season. As such the Family Medicine Specialists working in district hospitals and village health centres feel a significant degree of isolation and seek opportunities for collegial interaction and continuing medical education (CME). Since 2010, an annual CME conference has been held at a central location, led by Lao and UC faculty. The CME event itself, transportation to and from, and accommodation for Family Medicine Specialists attending the conference is currently financed by the UC faculty of the Lao-UC Partnership but this source of funding is unstable and a long-term solution is a challenge. The events are attended by a large percentage of the Family 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 Ministry of Health and to all Family Medicine Specialists themselves. CME opportunities for the Family Medicine Specialists, delivered in the communities in which they practice, is an increasing priority for the Lao-UC Partnership. FMS are well aware of how videoconferencing has become so widely available and accepted during the pandemic in order to overcome geographic and environmental distancing.

F E A T U R E D

S T O R I E S

WONCA NEWS

Personal cell phones and Internet access are used widely by Fms for one-on-one interactions. However, no district hospital or village health centre has Internet access for group events. In addition, permission to hold zoom events on a larger scale need to be approved before they can take place and this process is slow and challenging.

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 administrative support. Membership dues to the association have been considered but can be a significant financial burden especially for the younger FMS in practice. To be considered for support such associations must apply to and be formally recognized by the Ministry of Health. Dr. Phimmasarn completed this process in 2018 with her own labour and time beyond her UHS duties and received formal recognition from the Ministry 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 two of her Batch 1 colleagues elected as vice 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 widely available public email services, which may seem straightforward, requires too much English language knowledge for many in Laos to complete the sign up. Email is seen 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.

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

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 this reason, we hope that a way can be found for us to join WONCA and begin our move onto the world stage.

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

CONSULT REFERENCES HERE

23

F E A T U R E D

S T O R I E S

WONCA NEWS

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023

On 8 March 2023, WONCA joined International Women's Day, under the theme DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.

From the earliest days of computing to the present age of virtual reality and artificial intelligence, women have made untold contributions to the digital world in which we increasingly live. Their accomplishments have been against all odds, in a field that has historically neither welcomed nor appreciated them.

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 participation in tech design and governance.

And the pervasive threat of online genderbased violence—coupled with a lack of legal recourse—too often forces them out of the digital spaces they do occupy.

information of UN.WOMEN

24

At the same time, digital technology is opening new doors for the global empowerment of women, girls and other marginalized groups.

From genderresponsive digital learning to tech-facilitated sexual and reproductive healthcare, the digital age represents an unprecedented opportunity to eliminate all forms of disparity and inequality.

F E A T U R E D

S T O R I E S

WONCA NEWS

On the ocassion, WONCA President Dr Anna Stavdal recognized the pivotal role of female family doctors and their tireless work and commitment to patient-centred care.

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 for all women.

Read the inspiring reflections from Dr Elizabeth Reji, chair of the WONCA Working Party on Women and Family Medicine HERE.

"THERE IS NO FORCE MORE POWERFUL THAN A WOMAN DETERMINED TO RISE" Every year on the 8th of March, 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 emphasizes the achievement of women who have strived, worked hard and made a name in the field of innovation and technology removing any biases and establishing gender equality. There are so many unsung female heroes that have made significant contributions within innovation and technology and this women's day, we would like to remember all of these heroes.

I have seen inspiring stories everyday on the internet including women who have bounced back into careers after being stay at home mothers for years: Laura Boccanfuso got her 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 prize in Chemistry.

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. All these women strive towards a common goal: Creating a world where women can dream and make their dreams a reality. This year, let us set examples but also 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 contributions and dedication towards clinical practices especially within women's health and education.

25

The only way we can continually progress is by constanfly challenging ourselves and finding inspiration from each other. May this women's day be our reminder to never give up on our dreams and to ensure that we can also be part of the system that breaks the biases that surround women. Let WONCA set an example of women in medicine advancing and creating transparency, equality and innovation through their actions and efforts.

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

DR ELIZABETH REJI WWPWFM CHAIR

W O N C A

C O N F E R E N C E S

WONCA NEWS

INITIAL SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED The RACGP is getting excited about hosting WONCA 2023 in Sydney.

We’re thrilled to announce that our speaker line-up will include WONCA President Dr Anna Stavdal and Deputy Chief Medical Officer Prof Michael Kidd AM. Other speakers include Professor Sandra Eades, and Professor Trish Greenhalgh OBE.

Join us over 26–29 October to hear from a range of internationally renowned speakers and experts in primary care.

Check out all the speakers we’ve lined up so far on the WONCA Sydney website.

MEET THE SPEAKERS

26

W O N C A

C O N F E R E N C E S

WONCA NEWS

EARLY REGISTRATION FEE AVAILABLE UNITL 20 MARCH

WONCA CONFERENCES

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

It is our pleasure to welcome you in the capital of more than 500 million Europeans.

As the centre of European culture and institutions, Brussels has much more to offer than most people imagine. Apart from its famous chocolates and beers, there are almost 90 museums, beautiful parks, architecture, bars and much more.

Dear Friends and Colleagues, hello to you all!

Let’s start by introducing ourselves: 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 Scientific Committee of WONCA Europe 2023.

Our conference theme is “Making choices in primary care”. The Scientific Committee is preparing an exciting programme based on original abstracts and contributions from leading international scientific networks and special interest groups. Coming together as a research community, WONCA 2023 will showcase cutting edge research to support primary care in Europe.

The conference will give us all a chance to meet, discuss choices and implement positive change.

See you soon in Brussels!

EARLY REGISTRATION FEE CLOSES SOON! REGISTER HERE

27

WONCA NEWS

WONCA IBEROMAERICANA - CIMF

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

W O N C A

C O N F E R E N C E S

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 rural and remote doctors!

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 rural and remote communities.

WONCA NEWS

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 October to Saturday, 21 October.

29

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, meaning not only will you catch up with and meet colleagues from around Australia, but you will have the unique opportunity to network with rural specialists from around the world while experiencing the rich culture of Hobart.

Join the RMA23 and find your tribe!

A N N O U N C E M E N T S

&

U P D A T E S

WONCA NEWS

6TH EMIRATES FAMILY MEDICINE SOCIETY CONGRESS 16 - 19 MARCH 2023

EFMS PRESIDENT'S WELCOME MESSAGE On behalf of the Emirates Family Medicine Society, we would like to heartily invite you, society members, annual congress delegates, esteemed faculty, committees and industry partners and friends to explore the society website, created as a platform to maintain connectivity and high standards among physicians who practice family medicine and realize that a family doctor’s effectiveness depends on up-to-date continuing education.

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!

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 Royal College of GPs, which is built on a longterm mutual collaboration, and would like to invite all interested physicians and healthcare professionals to join us in furthering the profession of the family medicine doctor by continuously developing their knowledge, skills and practice while staying connected through their membership in the society.

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 Association for the UAE and beyond.

30

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

A N N O U N C E M E N T S

&

U P D A T E S

WEBINAR: RETHINKING PATIENT SAFETY IN FAMILY MEDICINE We are delighted to invite you to the second webinar of the Primary Care Asia webinar series, aimed at previewing key themes to be featured at WONCA 2023 (October 2023, Sydney), that will be of practical, clinical use to the Asian general practitioner/family doctor.

Quality in healthcare and safe care mean the best health outcomes that are possible, 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 primary care setting.

This webinar is brought to you by the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians, the Malaysian Family Medicine Specialists' Association, the Hong Kong Doctors Union, and MIMS Education. Join us on 16 Mar 2023 19:00.

FIND MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTER HERE

31

WONCA NEWS

A N N O U N C E M E N T S

&

U P D A T E S

CAST YOUR VOTE FOR THE

2023 WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY THEME

On behalf of the World Federation for Mental Health's President Dr Nasser Loza and the 2021-2023 Board of Directors, it gives me great pleasure to invite you to participate in choosing the theme for World Mental Health Day to be held on 10 October 2023.

WFMH was launched in 1948 with the aim of 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 promotion of education about mental health, with the aim of empowering people who deliver and receive mental health services.

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

This year's World Mental Health Day coincides with the 75th anniversary of WFMH and we need a theme that truly matters to all of us globally so please support us in choosing one.

A special thank you to all those who have contributed suggestions for this years theme and the ones who helped with its curation.

The theme that gets the highest number of votes will be chosen for this years World Mental Health Day. This voting process is open globally, so please forward the information to the people around you, inviting them to have their voice for global mental health.

VOTING WILL CLOSE ON FRIDAY 17 MARCH 2023.

Professor Gabriel Ivbijaro MBE JP Secretary General & CEO WFMH

DISCOVER THE 14 SUGGESTED THEMES AND VOTE

32

WONCA NEWS

A N N O U N C E M E N T S

&

U P D A T E S

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

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

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

Start this learning module here.

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

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

Modules available for free here

33

WONCA NEWS

A N N O U N C E M E N T S

&

U P D A T E S

WONCA NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

34

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

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

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

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

A N N O U N C E M E N T S

&

U P D A T E S

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

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

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

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

FIND MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTER HERE

35

WONCA NEWS

A N N O U N C E M E N T S

&

U P D A T E S

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

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

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

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

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

UPCOMING SESSIONS 12.45 - 13.45 + 15min extended Q&A (London), Wed 15 March, Integrating Primary Care and Public 12.45 – 13.45, Wed 26 Apr 2023, Getting the Primary Care Workforce right May 2023, Holding it together: Primary Care Infrastructure Jun 2023, Measuring, regulating, and improving Primary Care Jul 23, Panel Discussion: Primary Health Care at the heart of every health system - an achievable dream?

36

WONCA NEWS