WONCA Special Interest Group on Family Violence update

WONCA Africa conference meeting invitation and background for 6 May

The WONCA Special Interest Group on Family Violence launches an invitation to WONCA members, all colleges and academies to join its reflection on effective implementation on how to deal with family violence in primary health care.

WHO guidance indicates the priority for general practitioners, nurses and midwives to be involved more actively in health care for family violence. One in three adult women is confronted with physical or sexual abuse; a similarly high proportion of women suffer psychological violence. Similarly UNICEF indicates that one quarter of girls between 15 and 19 suffers physical abuse and one on ten experiences forced sexual intercourse. Intimate partner violence, child abuse and elderly abuse are recognised more and more as major causes of mental problems, apart from their contribution to homicide.

Detection and immediate support of victims in primary health care is however low but can be increased by simple means at least four fold. Task definition according to available facilities, training and communication with other primary health care providers need special attention.

During its first year of action the WONCA Special Interest Group launched workshops in all continents to discuss possibilities, the needs of family physicians, and how to deal best with domestic violence. The last workshops in the series were held recently during the WONCA Rural and WONCA Africa meetings. These workshops studied the possibilities for primary health care workers in settings with lesser facilities and different cultural backgrounds.

A policy plan proposal for a primary care support strategy is now planned to be formally submitted at the upcoming WONCA meeting in Istanbul in October.

To see a list of 2015 workshops past and future click here.

To join this discussion online as an individual member or as a delegate of your institution or project and share your view join our SIG

Our discussions and your input will serve to define:
1. What should be the roles of general practice in different cultural communities, urban as well as rural areas?
2. How should management be organised in individual practices and supported regionally?
3. How can training be effectively provided?
4. How to balance between safety and confidentiality in multidisciplinary collaboration?
5. What projects and facilities are already in place?

We will ask you to submit suggestions and comments on these discussion items. Contributors to this exchange will be updated on a bi-monthly basis. A google group will be set up for exchange on the various topics. An online update on country facilities, guidance, training and multidiciplinary collaboration for intimate parter violence is also linked to this collection of ideas.

If you simply want to share case stories this helps to get more insight into problems encountered we have a case submission template - email: SIGfamilyviolence@wonca.net or famviolence@gmail.com

 Find out more about our SIG on Family Violence