WONCA Working Party: Planetary Health

Planetary Health

The previous WONCA Special Interest Group (SIG) on the Environment was upgraded to the status of Working Party, in December, 2011.

It was renamed the WONCA Working Party on Planetary Health in 2023.

Our vision is healthy people, healthy communities and healthy ecosystems on a healthy planet. We welcome interested family physicians / general practitioners or students. You are welcome to join our discussion group; or participate in any of our ongoing projects; or attend workshops on environmental health at WONCA conferences.

Join our working party

Convenor / Chair

Dr Özden Gökdemir (Turkey)

Email Chair

Dr Özden Gökdemir graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Karadeniz Technical University in 2002. She worked for two years in a Trabzon village family healthcare centre and two years in an emergency service (rural part, on ambulance or centre of the emergency call-112). She then spent about five years at Rize's Cancer Early Diagnoses, Screening, and Education Center, where she screened for breast cancer, cervix cancer, and colon cancer. Her job description also included "Smoking Sessions."

In 2016, she received her specialisation education from Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, and her PhD from the same university, Department of Physiology. She completed her mandatory work in Isparta between 2016 and 2018. She started working as an assistant professor at Izmir University of Economics-Faculty of Medicine in 2018.

Dr. Gökdemir was the past leader of the Special Interest Group on Mental Health at the World Organization for Family Doctors (WONCA) and the Vasco da Gama Movement (2018-2021).

She is a member of the Rural WONCA (WONCA Working Party on Rural Practice) Council and EURIPA's executive committee.

She is also the media director of Aile Hekimliği Akademisi and a member of the AHEF vaccination council.

She’s a member of TTB, TAHUD and EGPRN

Dr. Gökdemir is a member of the editorial board of the Turkish Journal of Family Medicine Primary Care, The Journal of Turkish Family Physician, and Journal of Applied Sciences and Clinical Practice (JASCP), guest associate editor of Frontiers.

"Let’s work and improve our lives together."

Co-Convenor or other office bearers

Executive Members

Chair Elect - Sankha Randenikumara (Sri Lanka)
Past Chair - Enrique Fleceto de Barros (Brazil)
Provost - Alan Abelsohn (Canada)
Vice Chairs - Terry Kemple (UK)
Catherine Pendrey (Australia)
Young Doctor Liaison - Nathaly Velasquez (Peru)
Medical Students' Associations Chair - Dilge Kocabaş (Turkey)

Regional chairs

Africa - Bob Mash (South Africa)
Asia Pacific - TBA
East Mediterranean - TBA
Europe - Andree Rochfort (Ireland) / Ulrik Bak Kırk (Denmark)
Iberoamerica - Paola Rava Dellepiane (Uruguay)
North America - Paola Henry (Trinidad and Tobago) / Sonja Wicklum (Canada)
South Asia - TBA

Advisors

Andy Haines - Science Advisor (UK)
Alice McGushin - Climate Change Advisor (Australia)
Enrique Falceto De Barros - Innovations and Health Equity Manager (Brazil)

Vision and Mission of WONCA Working Party on Planetary Health

Vision

Healthy people, communities and ecosystems on a healthy planet.

Mission

To lead Family Doctors in protecting the health of patients and communities from the impacts of environmental hazards and threats, and promote environmental and planetary health at both the local and the planetary level.

Objectives of the WONCA Working Party on Planetary Health

Within a value system that promotes evidence based, ethical and equitable practice as Family Doctors, we will:
- Remember the fact that no life is possible without an environment which enables and favors it, that the planetary environment is threatened in many ways, including present and potential adverse effects on life and health, and that it is therefore in humanity’s vital interest to urgently act in order to preserve it for us and for future generations;
- Represent a view which promotes this understanding of planetary health, while keeping the responsibility for our patients in mind;
- Strive to better understand how the environment affects human health;
- Educate our members, other physicians and health professionals, the public, and policy-makers about environmental health issues;
- Share our concerns with patients, while emphasizing health and health promotion.
- Promote and develop best practices in planetary health in family medicine.
- Collaborate both within WONCA and with other organizations that share our concerns and values;
- Support and guide family doctors and other health professionals to advocate for healthy people, communities, ecosystems and a healthy planet;
- Promote healthcare and other activities of WONCA and its members that is environmentally sustainable, striving towards carbon neutrality and minimizing waste and use of water resources.

Our objectives will be implemented through:

Sharing of resources:
Educational materials and other resources
Interesting articles on environmental health
Sharing activities we are involved in, in our own departments or practices
Discussions on topics on environmental health relevant to Family Doctors
- clinical practice
- research
- community involvement
Project development
- educating family physicians
- curriculum development
- research

We also hope to run educational sessions and meetings at as many WONCA regional meetings as we can, and to collaborate with other WONCA Working Parties and SIGs.

Publications & Documents

2023
WONCA Planetary Health Equitable and Sustainable Events Policy (2023)

A call from Family Doctors to secure a just and equitable transition to sustainable energy and safeguard health from the climate emergency (2023)

The WONCA Working Party on the Environment Statement to Protect Health by committing to fossil fuel non-proliferation and climate action (2023)

An international planetary health for primary care massive open online course (2023)

El Niño and health in an era of unprecedented climate change (2023)

The World Organization of Family Doctors Air Health Train the Trainer Program: lessons learned and implications for planetary health education (2023)

2022
Statement on Sustainable Inhaled Therapies for Healthier People and the Planet (2022)

Eco-anxiety: a new disease or a “new normal”? (2022)

Planetary health action framework: A case study

2021
Family doctors to connect global concerns due to climate change with local actions: State-of-the art and some proposals (2021)

2019
On the importance of primary and community healthcare in relation to global health and environmental threats: lessons from the COVID-19 crisis (2019)

Statement declaring climate emergency (2019)

Declaration calling for the Family Doctors of the world to act on planetary health

2017
Statement on Planetary Health and Sustainable Development Goals (2017)
Portugues
中文

2016
Justification and appropriateness in radiological diagnostics - policy statement (2016)

2014
Family Doctors in the Field (2014)
Features stories from environmental family doctors from across the globe.

2012
Signatory to the Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing

Visit the A-Z resources area for a complete listing of publications

Activities

Projects

WP on the Environment Statement to Protect Health

Greening the doctors’ office/ clinic
We want to develop a guide to “greening the doctors’ office” for distribution through WONCA, and national colleges. We can use existing materials, including those from the Doctors for the Environment Australia, the Ontario College of Family Physicians and the UK’s Green Impact for health toolkit.

Climate change and health; The role of the family doctor
We want to develop a user-friendly PowerPoint presentation, with speaker notes and references that can be used by colleagues in WONCA and beyond. We will develop a network of interested family doctors, in collaboration with other climate change and health medical groups.

History

The Special Interest Group (SIG) on the Environment was established in 2007 and upgraded to the status of Working Party in 2011. Its name was changed the WONCA Working Party (WP) on Planetary Health in 2023.

The vision of the WP is ‘Healthy people, healthy communities and healthy ecosystems on a healthy planet’. The old name WP on the ‘Environment’ did not sufficiently cover the areas highlighted in the vision statement. Other names such as, ‘one health’ and ‘eco health’ were also considered, but the word ‘planetary health’ is more appropriate.

The concept of planetary health has been developed by The Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission on planetary health. Planetary Health is defined as the health of human civilization and the state of the natural systems on which it depends. It acknowledges the inter-dependability of the humans and the eco systems for their wellbeing.

Our hummingbird logo remains unchanged. It always reminds us of the obligation we have towards our planet and to do the best possible we can to mitigate climate change

The working party meeting in Cancun

Relevant Resources

What can family doctors do?

Climate change is the most pressing public health challenge of our times. What is the role of family doctors? First ideas come from an article from Australian Family Physician, and a report from the Ontario College of family Physicians in Canada.

Climate change and health. What can family doctors do? (PDF format)
Addressing the Health Effects of Climate Change: Family Physicians Are Key - The Ontario College of Family Physicians (PDF format)

Family doctors can set an example to their communities, and help the environment, by "greening" their offices, and reducing their ecological footprint. We include two useful resources to help you get started in your office or clinic:

Green Clinic Brochure (PDF format)
Des solutions vertes au bureau (français - PDF format)
Greening your Office Brochure (English - PDF format)