WONCA at the WHO Executive Board

Advocating for Family Medicine

WONCA actively participated in the 156th session of the WHO Executive Board (EB156), making the case for strengthening primary care, investing in the health workforce, and ensuring universal health coverage (UHC).

Prof. María Pilar Astier-Peña, WONCA’s WHO Liaison, attended the meeting in Geneva, while Lucía Pérez Gómez, Vice President for External Affairs at the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA), also delivered statements on WONCA’s behalf.

WONCA’s Key Advocacy Points:

• Health Workforce: WONCA called for greater recognition of family doctors as essential members of primary healthcare teams, emphasizing their role in providing patient-centred, community-based care. Read full statement.
• Universal Health Coverage (UHC): WONCA urged governments to invest in family medicine to strengthen primary care, improve patient outcomes, and reduce health system burdens. Read full statement.
• Health Emergency Preparedness: WONCA highlighted the critical role of family doctors in crisis response and called for their inclusion in national and global health emergency planning. Read full statement.
• Climate Change and Health: WONCA stressed the need for climate-conscious healthcare strategies and stronger primary care to address environmental health risks. Read full statement.

In addition, WONCA co-signed the NCD Alliance Constituency Statement on WHO’s Work in Health Emergencies, urging Member States to integrate noncommunicable disease (NCD) services into emergency response plans. Read full statement.

Watch WONCA’s Interventions:

• 📺 Health Workforce
• 📺 Universal Health Preparedness
• 📺 Universal Health Coverage

Read all WONCA’s official statements on global health policy here.