WONCA Asia Pacific president reports on conference attendances

April, 2012

Dr Donald Li, President of WONCA Asia Pacific region was a plenary speaker at the International Primary Health Care Reform Conference held in Brisbane Australia, from March 6-7, 2012. Donald spoke on Primary Care growth and reform – What now? - the Hong Kong Experience. This was part of a session called Primary care growth and reform – what now? Dr Li shared the platform with other eminent doctors such as Professor Mukesh Haikerwal, a general practitioner in Melbourne, who was elected unopposed as the chair of council of the World Medical Association, May 2011.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) was a major sponsor of this conference and Professor Claire Jackson, RACGP President, was the conference chair. Dr Li reports that there were many prominent speakers from the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

There was a special Barbara Starfield Memorial plenary delivered by Professor Martin Roland CBE, titled Measuring the impact of primary care. While in Australia, Professor Roland CBE who is chair in Health Services Research at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom also gave a public lecture at the Australian National University titled: Why does the UK keep investing in primary care? Is it really that effective? For those interested, this lecture can be found on YouTube.

Singapore

Later in March, Dr Donald Li, attended an International Conference on Tobacco or Health (COTOH) in Singapore (March 20-24, 2012). He participated in a session promoting tobacco cessation by Family Doctors. He also hosted a dinner for Director General of World Health Organization Dr Margaret Chan.