Newsletter: August 2016

The recognition of family medicine as a specialty matters. We want our medical graduates to become family doctors by choice, not by accident... I was reminded by college president, Associate Professor Lee Kheng Hock, that family medicine is not yet recognized as a medical specialty in Singapore.

Cette identification de la médecine familiale comme spécialité est importante. Nous devons montrer aux meilleurs étudiants en médecine de toute nation que les soins de santé primaires au niveau de la communauté sont un choix de carrière viable et louable et nous devons les encourager à nous joindre dans cette carrière. Lee Kheng Hock, professeur agrégé et président du collège, a rappelé que la médecine familiale n'est pas encore reconnue comme spécialité médicale à Singapour.

El hecho de reconocer la Medicina de Familia como una especialidad es importante. Es necesario que los mejores estudiantes de Medicina y los más brillantes de todos los países perciban la Atención Primaria y la asistencia Comunitaria como una carrera estimulante y que vale la pena, y que se nos unan en la especialidad Familiar y Comunitaria... El colega Presidente y Profesor Asociado, Lee Kheng Hock, me recordó que la Medicina Familiar todavía no es una especialidad médica reconocida en Singapur.

A timely reminder from our CEO about details for the coming World conference in Rio and the associated meetings of WONCA groups and WONCA World Council. Links to the latest on Zika virus.

WONCA editor, Karen Flegg, writes: The recent WONCA Europe conference provided an opportunity for attendees to undertake a visit to the practice of Danish colleagues. I was welcomed by Dr Gobind Kalsi and Dr Kristian Müller at their practice in Vesterbro, Copenhagen.

World Mental Health Day (10 October) is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. Professor Gabriel Ivbijaro current President WFMH (World Federation for Mental Health) encourages us all to promote the day.

As part of the cultural calendar for WONCA World 2016 in Rio, our colleagues in the Brazilian Society of Family and Community Medicine have launched a call for two exhibitions and three contests of cultural material. The two exhibitions call for video and photograph submissions, whilst the three contests are seeking short story, music and poetry submissions. Deadline August 31.

Did you realise that we all just had a fantastic conference in Copenhagen? That is what we hear. We hope that you all had enjoyable stays in Denmark and Copenhagen – and hopefully many of you got the opportunity to travel to some of the other Nordic countries as well. We want to thank you for the brilliant contributions you all made. Whether it was scientific, clinical or as an interested clinician, everyone made the WONCA Europe Conference 2016 a memorable conference.

As the WONCA World conference in Rio approaches, you may be interested in the latest WHO advice relating to the Zika virus.

Definitions, models and limits... Does this matter? I think it does, at least at the level of the ‘system’. While individual circumstances and opportunities may vary, a health care system that does not implement the full scope of family medicine is likely to be less cost-effective.

Definiciones, modelos y límites... ¿Esto importa? Yo creo que sí, al menos a nivel del “sistema”. Mientras que las circunstancias individuales y las oportunidades pueden variar, un sistema sanitario que no implementa todo el ámbito de la Medicina de Familia es probable que sea menos coste-efectivo.

WONCA has launched its new policy statement on eHealth developed by the WONCA Working Party on eHealth. The statement on eHealth calls for information technology that supports the family doctor in providing patient-centered care that has high quality and is safe.

This month's rural round up is a presentation given in April by Ewen Mc Phee "Masterclass on Social Media and Medicine". You can read the transcript below or alternatively watch it on YouTube.

World Mental Health Day (10 October) is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. Professor Gabriel Ivbijaro current President WFMH (World Federation for Mental Health) encourages us all to promote the day.

A newly formed WONCA Specialist Interest Group on Genetics has been set up and we hope the topics and themes discussed in this short paper will interest WONCA members (and we look forward to having new members join!).

From Shabir Moosa, Secretary, on behalf of the WONCA Africa Executive Committee brief news from WONCA Africa including next year's conference dates.

Did you realise that we all just had a fantastic conference in Copenhagen? That is what we hear. We hope that you all had enjoyable stays in Denmark and Copenhagen – and hopefully many of you got the opportunity to travel to some of the other Nordic countries as well. We want to thank you for the brilliant contributions you all made. Whether it was scientific, clinical or as an interested clinician, everyone made the WONCA Europe Conference 2016 a memorable conference.

Report from Prof Howe regarding her visit to Taipei, Chinese Taipei, Asia Pacific Region, July 8-11 2016. During a press conference attended by Prof Amanda Howe, the Taiwan Association of Family Medicine released the Taiwan Action Plan.

The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Foundation supports the sharing of expertise among those who want to advance the family medicine model throughout the world. One scholarship recipient is selected each year and receives funding to attend the STFM Annual Spring Conference.

The 6th Euripa Rural Health Forum, to be held in Marseille 23-24 September 2016, will address the full scope of research and educational questions facing rural family doctors of all ages, through presentations, workshops, and poster sessions.

It is with great sadness that we today learned of the death on 22nd July 2016 of our great friend, colleague and one of the Founding Fathers of the Vasco da Gama Movement, Fons Sips.

The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Foundation supports the sharing of expertise among those who want to advance the family medicine model throughout the world. One scholarship recipient is selected each year and receives funding to attend the STFM Annual Spring Conference.