Region: South Asia

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South Asia

The WONCA South Asia Region is one of WONCA's seven regional bodies, bringing together family doctors from across the subcontinent. Its member organisations come from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, with some countries having more than one member, and the region held its first regional conference in Mumbai, India in December 2010, which proved a huge success. That conference helped set the foundations for the region's organised work in family medicine and primary care.

Out of that momentum came the Spice Route. Founded in 2012, the Spice Route is the WONCA South Asia Region working group for new and future doctors who have an interest in family and general practice, aiming to promote excellence in the field and to address the challenges of global health. Its first pre-conference programme ran at the WONCA South Asia Regional Conference in Mumbai, 2011, giving young and future family practitioners a forum to shape the movement's structure and communication channels, education, training and faculty development, primary care research, and international exchanges.

Upcoming Conferences

Regional President

Dr. Pramendra Prasad Gupta (Nepal)

Dr. Pramendra Prasad Gupta is an accomplished clinician, academic leader, and digital health innovator currently serving as Additional Professor in the Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine at B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal. With a distinguished career spanning clinical practice, teaching, research, and health-system strengthening, Dr. Gupta has established himself as one of the region’s leading voices in family medicine and digital health transformation.

Dr. Gupta is the President of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) – South Asia Region, where he leads regional strategies to advance family medicine education, primary health care leadership, and collaborative professional development across South Asia. In this role, he advocates strongly for equitable primary care, health system resilience, and stronger integration of digital innovations to support universal health coverage.

A recognized digital health expert, Dr. Gupta serves as the Medical Coordinator for the Health and Telemedicine Program at BPKIHS, spearheading telemedicine implementation, capacity-building, and service expansion to remote and underserved populations. His leadership has contributed significantly to the institutionalization of telemedicine services, clinical protocols for remote care, and digital literacy among frontline health workers.

He also leads as the Head of the Digital Health Outpost of the Geneva Digital Health Hub (GDHUB) , where he supports global knowledge exchange, digital health preparedness, and research on the responsible use of emerging technologies in healthcare. His work bridges local innovations from Nepal with global thought leadership in digital health governance and implementation science. Dr. Gupta is actively engaged in academia and research, with contributions spanning family medicine, emergency care, digital health systems, telemedicine, health policy, and primary care strengthening. He serves on the editorial boards of several peer-reviewed journals, reflecting his commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and mentoring young researchers in South Asia.

Over the years, Dr. Gupta has played key roles in designing training programs, developing digital health frameworks, coordinating international collaborations, and leading public health initiatives. His work is driven by a deep commitment to accessible, people-centred, and technology-enabled healthcare that can transform health outcomes across South Asia and beyond. He continues to serve as a mentor, speaker, and advisor to numerous national and international bodies, championing the integration of digital tools and strong family medicine systems as essential pathways toward sustainable, equitable health systems.

Other office bearers

Immediate Past President 
Past Presidents/WONCA VPs


Dr. Md. Nurul Islam (Bangladesh)
WONCA Vice President -  Middle East and South Asia Region (MESAR) (1995-2001)

Dr. S. K. Gupta (Nepal)
WONCA Vice President - MESAR (2001-2007)

Dr. Preethi Wijegoonewardene (Sri Lanka)
WONCA MESAR & SAR President (2007-2013)

Dr. Pratap Narayan Prasad (Nepal)
WONCA SAR President (2013-2016)

Prof Kanu Bala (Bangladesh)
WONCA SAR President (2016-2018)

Dr Raman Kumar (India)
WONCA SAR President (2018-2021)

Dr Tariq Aziz (Pakistan)
WONCA SAR President (2021-2023)

Dr K SriRanjan (Sri Lanka)
WONCA SAR President (2023-2025)
 

Executive Members

Executive Committee WONCA SAR 2025-2027

President
Dr Pramendra Prasad Gupta
Nepal

Past President
Dr K Sri Ranjan
Sri Lanka

President Elect
Dr Firoz Ahmed
Bangladesh

Honorary Secretary
Dr Sankha Randenikumara
Sri Lanka

Honorary Treasurer
Dr Bikash Gauchan
Nepal

Education Secretary
Dr Tabinda Ashfaq
Pakistan

Member at Large
Dr Shyamallee Samaranayaka
Sri Lanka

Member at Large
Dr Jyotika Gupta Doshi
India

Member at Large
Dr. AR Gobith
Sri Lanka

Young Doctor Representative
Dr Vishnu BS
India

Groups and Organizations

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