Newsletter: July 2018

The governance of a global network organization like WONCA is a huge and unusual challenge. Our Council meets only once every two years - many members are new, and attend Council only once in their careers. Indeed the President only chairs WONCA Council once in their tenure! Executive will account there for the financial situation, and make proposals based on predictions for what is needed to help WONCA survive and thrive.

​Estas últimas semanas, la WONCA ha estado bastante tranquila en términos de encuentros, mientras se va acercando el Congreso Mundial de Seúl, el próximo mes de octubre.

The WONCA President has written to Member Organizations encouraging them to take up a major opportunity in the next four months to influence the World Health Organization’s strategy for strengthening primary health care over the next 10 years. It is the fortieth Anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration, and a new Declaration is expected in October. Family medicine needs to be part of that new Declaration.

For our CEO, Garth Manning, it has been an especially busy period of late, with the World Health Assembly closely followed by the WONCA Europe conference, in Krakow, which was then followed immediately by the WONCA Executive meeting in Warsaw. Meanwhile, having also been at the WONCA Europe conference, I reflect on the great enjoyment of attending WONCA Conferences.

WONCA CEO Garth Manning outlines arrangements for all WONCA Meetings associated with (mostly preceding) the coming World conference in Seoul,South Korea. These include meetings of Working Parties and Special Interest Groups, Young Doctors and the WOCNA World Council. Venues are confirmed and vary so please take a close look.

Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari was appointed as WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean by WHO’s Executive Board at its 143rd session and assumed office on 1 June 2018.

The submission deadline of the 1st Distinguished Research Making Family Medicine Shine Award has been extended. The aim of this award is to recognize the distinguished research conducted by WONCA colleagues which has been published in high-impact journals in the field of medicine or health sciences and to honor and award them at WONCA 2018 Seoul.

WONCA CEO Garth Manning outlines arrangements for all WONCA Meetings associated with (mostly preceding) the coming World conference in Seoul,South Korea. These include meetings of Working Parties and Special Interest Groups, Young Doctors and the WOCNA World Council. Venues are confirmed and vary so please take a close look.

Estos es lo que es necesario hacer en todos los servicios sanitarios – crear una fuerte voz profesional que sea creíble para los médicos de familia y que sea escuchada por parte de los gobiernos, políticos y otros profesionales sanitarios – y esto es valorado y apoyado por los impactos que tenemos en nuestros pacientes, salud y vidas.

What is needed in all health services – a strong and credible professional voice for family doctors, that is heard by governments, funders, and other health professionals – and that is valued and supported by the impacts we have on our patients’ health and lives.

Dr Sumit Dubey is a dentist from New Delhi, India. He specialises in Prosthodontics and Oral Implantology. He wishes to bring about oral health awareness to the most remote parts of India

Prof Chris Dowrick, Chair WONCA Working Party on Mental Health reports on the 2016-18 Activity Plan. Our three objectives for 2016-2018 are to improve internal structures; to offer mental health guidance for WONCA members; and to provide global leadership on primary mental health care.

Latest open access journal article from Education for Primary Care.

Enrique Barros, chair of the WONCA Environment provides a report on the working party activities of the past year.

Val Wass OBE, Chair, WONCA Working Party on Education provides a report on the working party activities over the past year including considering outcomes achieved and plans for the future.

A report on the First national Course on Quaternary Prevention (P4). Sponsored by the WONCA SIG on Quaternary Prevention and Overmedicalization, it was held in the city of Lima.

WONCA Europe and its teaching organization EURACT have produced several important documents on a common definition and description of the GP/FM specialty. These documents support the recognition of GP/FM and improvement in the quality of specialty training schemes in addition they promote international collaborations.

WONCA Europe under the leadership of Prof Johann Sigurdsson (from Iceland and Norway) have developed and endorsed a "Position Paper on Overdiagnosis and Actions to be Taken".

Dr Anna Stavdal, WONCA Europe president reports on recent WONCA Europe Council endorsements:- two equity statements, the Overdiagnosis /Overtreatment position paper, and papers on Training Requirements for GP/FM, as well as Quality in family medicine.

Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari was appointed as WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean by WHO’s Executive Board at its 143rd session and assumed office on 1 June 2018.