Issuu

VOL 48 | NUMBER 6

NEWS

2022

J U L Y

WONCA PRESIDENT DR ANNA STAVDAL (NORWAY) EMAIL: PRESIDENT@WONCA.NET TWITTER: @ASTAVDAL WONCA IMMEDIATE PAST - PRESIDENT DR DONALD LI (HONG KONG) PRESIDENT-ELECT ASSOC PROF KAREN FLEGG (AUSTRALIA) EXECUTIVE MEMBER AT LARGE & HONORARY TREASURER PROF VAL WASS (UK) EXECUTIVE MEMBER AT LARGE DR MARÍA PILAR ASTIER PEÑA (SPAIN)

CONTENT FROM THE PRESIDENT

PAGE 3

MONTEGUT GLOBAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

PAGE 8

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY

PAGE 9

EXECUTIVE MEMBER AT LARGE PROF SHABIR MOOSA (SOUTH AFRICA)

THE CAMPAIGN

REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA AFRICA DR DAN ABUBAKAR (NIGERIA)

MEDIA KIT & MESSAGES

REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA ASIA PACIFIC ASSOC PROF MOHAMMAD HUSNI JAMAL (MALAYSIA)

WFDD ON SOCIAL MEDIA

REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA EAST MEDITERRANEAN PROF TAGHREED MOHAMED FARAHAT (EGYPT) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA EUROPE PROF SHLOMO VINKER (ISRAEL) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA IBEROAMERICANACIMF ADJ/PROF JACQUELINE PONZO (URUGUAY) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA NORTH AMERICA DR JEFF MARKUNS (USA) REGIONAL PRESIDENT, WONCA SOUTH ASIA DR TARIQ AZIZ (PAKISTAN) YOUNG DOCTORS' REPRESENTATIVE DR SANKHA RANDENIKUMARA (SRI LANKA) WONCA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER DR HARRIS LYGIDAKIS WONCA WORLD SECRETARIAT WORLD ORGANIZATION OF FAMILY DOCTORS AVENUE DES ARTS 7-8 1210 BRUSSELS BELGIUM EMAIL: SECRETARIAT@WONCA.NET PHONE: +32 (0) 2 329 00 75 WONCA EDITOR MARIA DOLORES ZAVALA EMAIL: EDITOR@WONCA.NET TRANSLATIONS DR JIE GU DR HUA YANG DR JULIEN ARTIGNY

THE 3 PILLARS

WONCA REGIONS

FEATURED STORIES

PAGE 23

OECD’S PARIS WILL SHED LIGHT ON FAMILY DOCTORS’ CONTRIBUTION TO PC RELAUNCH OF PLANETARY HEALTH COURSES RECOMMENDED BY WHO

WONCA CONFERENCES

PAGE 28

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPDATES

PAGE 38

FROM THE PRESIDENT J U L Y

2 0 2 2

FACE-TO-FACE WITH WONCA

Nothing save change itself can last. Loosely, from Alan Watts, The Wisdom of Insecurity, 1968

To actually meet each other, in person. What a difference it makes. I’ve been traveling with WONCA during the past month, almost nonstop, luxuriating in seeing my colleagues and friends, hearing their actual voices, after more than two pandemic years.

F R O M

My tour reconfirmed the importance of the human touch – communication among us, as colleagues, as well between our patients and ourselves.

T H E

In addition to the inspiring meetings and Conferences I attended, I’ve met and spoken with a huge number of WONCA members and colleagues. Surprisingly, although we work in an intriguing array of contexts, the challenges we face are very often similar.

P R E S I D E N T

Two unhelpful common trends are that Primary Care and Family Medicine receive far less funding than does Secondary Care. Also, many local authorities try to micromanage physicians and other healthcare workers in an effort to achieve budgetary control. Nonetheless, WONCA members maintain the passion needed to carry on with their daily clinical work, seeing their patients, and advocating in their local contexts for Primary Care to be strengthened. I have seen their smiles, and heard their laughter, everywhere I’ve gone. That is encouraging!

PAGE 3

WONCA NEWS

Here’s where I’ve been: My first destination was ancient/modern GREECE, at the Annual Conference of the Greek College of General Practice. I was particularly inspired by the young doctors I met, many of whom were working in rural areas. Some were experimenting with new models for their practices, such as including social workers on their teams, and exploring ways to task shift among health workers from different professional backgrounds. I left crystalline blue Greece for rocky green LIMERICK, IRELAND – to attend the WONCA Global Rural Conference – my 4th WONCA rural conference. Participants had made their way there from all the WONCA regions, to hear an impressive group of speakers shed light on rural practice from a wide spectrum of viewpoints.

F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T PAGE 4

WONCA NEWS

F R O M T H E

I had the honor of holding a keynote address, focusing primarily on what urban doctors can learn from their rural colleagues. I also explored how we can strengthen our shared Family Doctor identity, in part by becoming cognizant of how different our contexts may seem, and actually be. As we develop WONCA, our quest to ensure that ‘organizational equity’ is not just a cherished concept, but also a reality, we must acknowledge the differences between us. After all, a prerequisite for mending inequity gaps is to recognize them. Paradoxically, once we acknowledge and appreciate what unites us, the imbalances and deficiencies become easier to see – and harder to ignore.

At the end of June, I reached Britain’s greatest metropolis, LONDON. The WONCA Europe Conference was held there as a joint venture between the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and WONCA Europe. It drew around 2000 participants from all over the world, becoming the biggest in-person WONCA event since the start of 2020. We were happy to join with our British colleagues to hail the RCGP on their 70th anniversary. Actually, it was a double celebration: 2022 is WONCA’s 50th anniversary.

P R E S I D E N T

Next stop: the summery, almost-midnight-sun region of SOUTHERN NORWAY. Every other year, the five Nordic colleges – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden – take turns hosting The Nordic Congress. For this year’s 22nd Congress, it was Norway’s turn. With many international speakers, and with English as the common language, the Congress also attracts participants from outside the Nordic region and Europe – from as far away as the USA, South America and Australia. Interestingly enough, the Primary Care team was the topic of several keynote sessions. Finding new ways to organize Primary Care, including to assure having adequate time for each patient, is clearly on the agenda throughout our global network.

PAGE 5

WONCA NEWS

The President of the RCGP, Professor Martin Marshall, and I shared the privilege of kicking off the conference. I focused my keynote address on ‘Core Values and Challenging Trends. What Now?’ Soon, our two talks will be available online. WONCA World cleverly organized our annual Council to take place right on the heels of the WONCA Europe Conference, attracting more participants to both events. This first hybrid Council meeting in the history of WONCA was divided into 2 sessions. First we held our formal business meeting. Then, our second session was a workshop: member organizations, Working Parties, and Special Interest Groups were invited to brainstorm on current and potential future benefits of membership in WONCA. To help inform our ongoing strategic planning, the Executive Committee will review the input from this workshop session carefully. Check my column “From the President” June 2022 for details about that process.

F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T PAGE 6

WONCA NEWS

Last stop: the little big city of OSLO, NORWAY, surrounded by forests. Travel logistics grow more challenging, with geopolitical uncertainties, aviation industry disputes, fuel crises…To show up in-person at an international meetings nowadays is proof of intense motivation, headstrong creativity, patience, and luck. Consequently, I was delighted and impressed that the majority of the members of the WONCA World Executive Committee made it to Oslo for our first in-person meeting this term. It was a pleasure to welcome the group to my hometown. During our more than two days of hard work, we also found time to enjoy getting to know each other better. Now, SUMMER HOLIDAYS begin – at least in parts of the world such as Europe and Scandinavia. The Secretariat will have some well-deserved time off in the coming weeks. Before they go, let me take this opportunity to thank CEO Harris Lygidakis and his staff for a job well done during the first half of the calendar year of 2022.

And, to all WONCA members: I invite you to look at the upcoming WONCA events. There will be several regional conferences during the second half of 2022. I hope to see you at one of them – or more!

DR ANNA STAVDAL WONCA PRESIDENT

Also available in: Français Español

中文

F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T PAGE 7

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

A W A R D S

MONTEGUT S C H O L A R

A W A R D

SUPPORTED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD OF FAMILY MEDICINE FOUNDATION

The Montegut Global Scholars Program (MGSP) was established to foster international education, research, and collaboration in the specialty of family medicine. It will support the attendance of family physicians from Africa, Asia Pacific, East Mediterranean, Europe Iberoamericana, North America, and South Asia Regions of the international organization of family physicians (WONCA) to any WONCA regional conference of 2022.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS! AFRICA REGION MERCY NAFULA WANJALA KENYA

EUROPE REGION DR GAZMEND BOJAJ KOSOVO

AFRICA REGION TIJANI OSENI NIGERIA

NORTH AMERICA REGION ANDREA MARIA PURAI JAMAICA

ASIA PACIFIC REGION MICHAEL ANGELO J. ARTEZA PHILIPPINES

SOUTH ASIA REGION KIRAN ABDUL SATTAR PAKISTAN

EAST MEDITERRANEAN REGION TASNEEM YAHYA PALESTINE

SOUTH ASIA REGION SADIA MOHAMMAD AZAM KHAN PAKISTAN

EAST MEDITERRANEAN REGION RIM TALEB LEBANON

IBEROAMERICANA CARMEN NADAL AGOST CHILE

PAGE 8

WONCA NEWS

2022

THE CAMPAIGN

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY World Family Doctor Day (FDD) – 19th May - was first declared by WONCA in 2010 and it has become a day to highlight the role and contribution of family doctors and primary care teams in healthcare systems around the world. This celebration is the perfect opportunity to acknowledge the central role of Family Doctors in the delivery of personal, comprehensive and continuing health care for all patients. It’s also a chance to celebrate the progress being made in family medicine and the special contributions of primary care teams globally. This year’s theme was: Family Doctors, Always There to Care!

FAMILY DOCTORS

ALWAYS THERE TO CARE

PAGE 9

F A M I L Y

D O C T O R

D A Y

This year’s campaign were based on THREE fundamental pillars: Always, There, Care.

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY 2022

DOCT ILY O M

THE 3 PILLARS

PILLARS OF

W O R L D

AL W

WONCA NEWS

THERE TO

ALWAYS Family Doctors are present at all times, and continuity is a fundamental feature of their work. They continuously provide care in all stages of patients’ lives, and throughout the big and small moments. Continuity is also present in care through the ongoing follow-up carried out to patients, where coordination with other levels of care and health care professionals is crucial. Lastly, continuity represents their constant preparation and skills development, uninterrupted research, and the ability to adapt and build resilience to change, technologies, methodologies, and educational strategies.

THERE Family doctors and primary care professionals are there, wherever and whenever needed. Always at the front line —in war, health crises and times of peace. They are part of the communities they work with, proactively reaching and engaging with members, sharing their core values, creating a unique connection with their patients, and building bonds of trust.

CARE Delivering accessible, equitable, sustainable, high-quality care is Family Doctors' raison d'etre. Being a Family Doctor is both a privilege and a responsibility, always looking after people and providing what is necessary for their welfare and protection, identifying their patients' needs to guarantee the fundamental right to health.

The three fundamental pillars of World Family Doctor Day were also available in: Español Français

中文

PAGE 10

WONCA NEWS

D O C T O R

D A Y

AL W

WFDD 2022

THERE TO

MEDIA KIT

SUPPORT FAMILY DOCTORS!

MÉ D

VOUS DE

MÉ D

TE AR D

S TE

U Í PARA C

GÉNÉRA LIS INS EC

TOUJOUR

FAMILY DOCTORS

THERE TO

SIE M

DE FA OS M IC

IA IL

DOCT ILY O M

To help tailor every communication and simplify all the advocacy efforts, for the 2022 edition we created a Media Kit with all the campaign elements. The graphic identity and messages of the “Family Doctors, Always There to Care” campaign were present on the 19th of May worldwide, in multiple languages and creative formats!

AL W

MEDIA KIT & MESSAGES

WFDD2022

DOCT ILY O M

F A M I L Y

W O R L D

PRENDR

LET'S CELEBRATE FAMILY MEDICINE!

WONCA MESSAGES We released two videos: one with a message from WONCA President, Dr Anna Stavdal, and a second one with WONCA President-Elect, Assoc Prof Karen Flegg. Both videos highlighted the crucial role of Family Doctors and Primary Care teams in providing quality health services for all. They also promoted the 2022 campaign and invited the audience to join the celebration.

PAGE 11

WONCA NEWS

D O C T O R

D A Y

AL W

WONCA REGIONS

DOCT ILY O M

WFDD 2022

F A M I L Y

W O R L D

THERE TO

AFRICA REGION When WONCA declared World Family Doctor Day WFDD on 19 May every year in Cancún, Mexico 2010, many family physicians and general practitioners from Africa Region were there. Every year since 2010, family Doctors in the WONCA Africa region participate in this global event. This year’s theme – ‘family doctors always there to care’, is very apt as it encapsulates the essence of the family physician who is always there to care. Many countries in the WONCA Africa region participated in this year's celebration. In Nigeria, national and regional events were carried out successfully, with 2 to 7-day activities depending on their nature. Thirteen states of Nigeria, including Lagos, Cross River, Oyo and Rivers States, had a variety of activities, including Health walk-in beautifully branded WFDD t-shirts, Free Medical Outreaches in underserved communities, health talks, Career counselling for medical doctors, Radio / TV shows, free continuous professional development lectures for doctors and dinner night.

The Wonca Working Party on Women in Family Medicine WWPWFM organized an event on 19 May 2022, focused on ‘the uniqueness of women family doctors: always there to care’. Speakers from West Africa, Central/East Africa and South Africa participated in this session, along with WONCA President Prof Anna Stavdal, Dr Dan Abubakar, WONCA Africa President, Chair of WONCA Working Party on Women Dr Mimi Doohan and Past Chairs Dr Amanda Barnard and Dr Kate Anteyi. This event gathered over 100 doctors from Africa and beyond.

PAGE 12

WONCA NEWS

D O C T O R

D A Y

AL W

WONCA REGIONS

Many African countries took this day as an opportunity to call government agencies, medical houses, and legislative and executive arms of government to create awareness of the critical roles of family doctors in health care systems. Ghana, for example, planned an advocacy meeting headed by the Society of Family Physicians of Ghana SOFPOG, a well-attended meeting with stakeholders, and the Minister of Volta Region and the Regional Health Directorate.

DOCT ILY O M

WFDD 2022

F A M I L Y

W O R L D

THERE TO

Social media was not left aside as many African doctors promoted the campaign on their channels, especially the vibrant and energetic young doctors of Afriwon Renaissance.

I want to thank the leaders of the Member Organizations MOs for mobilizing their members for the WFDD celebrations and working as a team with other MOs to make this year’s event a huge success. Remember that family doctors are always there to care. Dr Dan Abubakar, President WONCA Africa Region

PAGE 13

WONCA NEWS

D O C T O R

D A Y

RE YS

In the Asia Pacific Region, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) promoted World Family Doctor Day as a timely reminder that general practice care needs a shot in the arm to ensure GPs can continue to meet patient needs.

AL W

WONCA REGIONS

ASIA PACIFIC REGION

DOCT ILY O M

WFDD 2022

F A M I L Y

W O R L D

THERE TO

Through a video, the RACGP President Adj. Professor Karen Price invited the audience to join the 2022 campaign and recognise GP contributions to healthcare. In China, WONCA's three member organizations jointly organised the celebration of World Family Doctor Day 2022 with the theme of "Contract with family doctors and keep healthy". The event was successfully held both online and in person. It showed the situation of primary care practitioners and managers, community residents, and local health organizations in China to the public. About 250,000 people watched the celebration and gained a deeper understanding of family medicine. The General Practice Branch of Cross-Strait Medicine Exchange Association organized a special online event for all family doctors. The Chinese Taipei Association of Family Medicine also carried out a mountain hike at the Warship Rock in the Yangming Mountains to commemorate this celebration.

PAGE 14

WONCA NEWS

D O C T O R

D A Y

AL W

WONCA REGIONS

The Rajakumar Movement (TRM), WONCA Asia Pacific Region (APR) organised a much awaited get together session virtually to celebrate World Family Doctor. The session started with an impactful opening speech delivered by Associate Professor Dato’ Dr Muhammad Husni Jamal, President of WONCA APR, followed by YDM video showcase and performances by young doctors in the region.

DOCT ILY O M

WFDD 2022

F A M I L Y

W O R L D

THERE TO

PAGE 15

WONCA NEWS

D O C T O R

D A Y

RE YS

The WHO EMRO Regional Director issued a statement to highlight the importance of implementing family practice in the countries of the region. The regional activities included:

In Afghanistan, the AFMA Free Health Camp at Qambar Intersection, a place located in the fifth district of Kabul Municipality. Afghan Association of Family MedicineDoctors (AFMA) with the cooperation of members (AFMA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Kabul Public Health Department, launched a specialized health camp inthe centre of Kabul province. In Algeria, the 3rd Western Regional Meeting of the Algerian Society of General Medicine. A meeting to remember. The theme for this year's WONCA is"family doctors always there for care. "They were there for their training, for their developers, for their patients." All generations attended. Also, the Secretary of the society created a video about general practice role in Algeria. Also, a talk was produced on the Mostaganem radio show about family doctor day.

AL W

WONCA REGIONS

EAST MEDITERRANEAN REGION

DOCT ILY O M

WFDD 2022

F A M I L Y

W O R L D

THERE TO

Ministry leaders and representatives of United Nations bodies. WONCA EMR president was a guest speaker at this event. Also, family physician created a video for the Arabic version of the WONCA tree and explained the skills that a family doctor must have. In Iraq, colleagues created an educational brochure by the Iraqi family medicine association highlighting the role of family physicians and the important role that they play in providing optimal and comprehensive primary health care. In Jordan, the Jordan Society of Family Medicine (JSFM) & AlRazi-Jordan celebrated WFDD, Dr M R Tarawneh JSFM president delivered a speech on this occasion. Also, a radio episode was done that day byDr. Hadeel Al-Jarboua, family medicine specialist, at the Ministry of Health the health, highlighting the importance of the day and the role of the family doctor in evaluating healthy and nutritional behaviour.

In Bahrain, the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences at the Arabian Gulf University, in cooperation with the World Health Organization office in Bahrain, celebrated the International Day of the Family Physician, in the presence of the Director of the WHO Office in Bahrain, Tasneem Atatreh, and the Vice President of Medical Services in Primary Health Care at the Ministry of Health, Dr Mona Al-Tahw.

In Morocco, MG Morocco thanked all the general practitioners, Moroccan and international for their work and their investment. It thanked them for their work in the field, for the growing number of research projects in general medicine, for a strong involvement in professional and institutional think tanks, for everyone contributes daily to improving the care of patients and their entourage, and for promoting General Medicine/Family Medicine, through media and radio show.

In Egypt, the Ministry of Health and Population celebrated the International Day of Family Medicine, which falls on May19of each year, under the patronage of Dr KhaledAbdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Acting Minister of Health and Population, at the headquarters of the Princess Fatima Academy for Vocational Medical Education. The celebration of cooperation between the health care and nursing sector of the Ministry and the World Health Organization came in the presence of a number of

WONCA NEWS

D O C T O R

D A Y

AL W

WONCA REGIONS

In Oman, an awareness campaign on the prevention of high blood pressure. As the world hypertension day is on the17thof May so the association chose to celebrate the day by shedding the light on the family physician's role in the prevention of hypertension. A radio show and TV show was done on behalf of this event.

DOCT ILY O M

WFDD 2022

F A M I L Y

W O R L D

THERE TO

In Palestine, health education sessions were conducted, and a poster was developed showing gratitude to every family physician for their dedicated work. Also, a memorable gift carrying the theme of the day was gifted to the family physicians working in the PHC. Qatar celebrated WFDD by conducting a Family Doctor Research Day on the 19th of May by presenting 7 different research topics. Multiple School Visit to Leabaib HC PHCC Family doctors, headed by Dr Maryam Ali Al Hitmi, Consultant Family Medicine, celebrated World Family Doctor Day by welcomingZIKRIT KINDERGARTEN FOR GIRLS, to inform them of the vital role Family doctors play in providing comprehensive and ongoing healthcare services to the community, as well as, introducing them to PHCC’s Rashid Family characters, with whom the kids played and received give-away colouring book kits. During the event, family doctors talked about several topics with the students of autistic spectrum disorder and special needs and highlighted the important role family doctors play in society and primary care systems. At the end of the day, students and family doctors created art crafts and gave them away to the school as a memorable gift. In Saudi Arabia, a radio show was done by the MO highlighting the importance of the three pillars of the celebration. In UAE, the Emirates Family Medicine Society withhold the celebration for 40 days as they are in the mourning period. Lastly, the regional Young Doctor Movement, AlRazi joined the celebrations with graphics and a video.

PAGE 17

WONCA NEWS

D O C T O R

D A Y

AL W

WONCA REGIONS

EUROPE REGION

DOCT ILY O M

WFDD 2022

F A M I L Y

W O R L D

THERE TO

The Portuguese Association of General and Family Medicine (APMGF) celebrated World Family Doctor Day (WFDD) in 2022 with a debate about the current and future role of family doctors in the healthcare system and how they can contribute to improve the proximity of primary healthcare services to the population. This debate took place in a Lisbon Hotel, but was also broadcast live on APMGF’s website and social media. Alongside APMGF’s president, Nuno Jacinto, the panel also included the head of the Portuguese Medical Council and the former Healthcare Secretary of State and current Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Manuel Pizarro. APMGF’s president was also a guest on a morning news show, on a national TV station, where he had the opportunity to describe, in detail, some of the most important challenges family doctors face today and the core values of Family Medicine that must be preserved at all cost, especially in a postpandemic era when health inequalities tend to increase. Finally, APMGF released social media content devised to generate awareness about this unique day, focusing on the close bond between family doctors and their patients. Member organizations in other European countries such as France, Ireland, Spain and others promoted WFDD 2022 campaign on social media with videos and graphics.

PAGE 18

WONCA NEWS

D O C T O R

D A Y

AL W

WONCA REGIONS

IBEROAMERICANA REGION - CIMF

DOCT ILY O M

WFDD 2022

F A M I L Y

W O R L D

THERE TO

Multiple organizations from WONCA Iberoamericana - CIMF celebrated World Family Doctor Day with activities, videos, photos and graphic material. The Waynakay Movement (YDM) also joined the celebration on social media.

PAGE 19

WONCA NEWS

D O C T O R

D A Y

AL W

WONCA REGIONS

NORTH AMERICA REGION

DOCT ILY O M

WFDD 2022

F A M I L Y

W O R L D

THERE TO

World Family Doctor Day was promoted by the AAFP, the CFPC, the CCFP and STFM. The WONCA NA region President tweeted out materials provided by World WONCA from @BU_GHC, and promoted a similar tweet from the Primary Health Care Performance Initiative (PHCPI) (@improvingphc).

PAGE 20

WONCA NEWS

D O C T O R

D A Y

AL W

WONCA REGIONS

SOUTH ASIA REGION

DOCT ILY O M

WFDD 2022

F A M I L Y

W O R L D

THERE TO

Several member organizations from the WONCA South Asia region celebrated World Family Doctor Day with multiple activities, videos and photos. The Spice Route Movement (regional YDM) also celebrated WFDD2022 with a live session on family medicine.

YOUNG DOCTORS' MOVEMENTS The WONCA Young Doctors Movements gathered family doctors around the globe to celebrate the WorldFamily Doctor Day. YDM prepared a promotional video for the WFDD with contributions from all regions which was wellreceived by social media. The multiple movements also had their own celebrations with digital sessions, activities and social media publications.

YDM YOUNG DOCTORS' MOVEMENTS

PAGE 21

WONCA NEWS

D O C T O R

D A Y

AL W

WFDD ON SOCIAL MEDIA

DOCT ILY O M

WFDD 2022

F A M I L Y

W O R L D

THERE TO

World Family Doctor Day had a relevant presence on social platforms, mainly Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Top hashtags #WorldFamilyDoctorDay and #WFDD2022 and #Alwaysthere2Care had a total reach of 6.1 million users. This year's social media frame had a total of 6,550 downloads.

WFDD2022

4,124 mentions

3.7 K interactions

4.2 M reach

ALWAYSTHERE2CARE

980 mentions

1.2 K interactions

1.9M reach

*ALL PLATFORMS. SOURCE: BRANDMENTIONS

PAGE 22

WONCA NEWS

F E A T U R E D

S T O R I E S

OECD’s PaRIS

FEATURED STORIES

WILL SHED LIGHT ON FAMILY DOCTORS’ CONTRIBUTION TO PRIMARY CARE by Candan Kendir, Jose M Valderas PaRIS is the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s PatientReported Indicator Surveys initiative where countries work together on developing, standardising and implementing a new generation of indicators that measure the outcomes and experiences of health care. The PaRIS survey assists countries in improving care for people living with chronic conditions by measuring outcomes and experiences with the primary and ambulatory care services that they use. Family doctors are the cornerstone of chronic care and the PaRIS survey will shed light on family doctors’ contribution to improving quality of care for people living with chronic conditions. Currently, 20 countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States) are participating in the first round of the PaRIS survey.

PARIS QUESTIONNAIRES AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANS ARE PILOTED IN A FIELD TRIAL The PaRIS survey of People Living with Chronic Conditions is the first ever large-scale international survey on the outcomes and experiences of people with chronic conditions and their primary care providers. A conceptual framework has been developed through a systematic, replicable and inclusive process, including the following domains: patient reported outcomes; patient reported experiences of care; health and health care capabilities; health behaviours; individual and sociodemographic factors; delivery system design; and health system design, policy and context.

Based on the framework, a comprehensive patient questionnaire has been constructed by using existing validated measurement tools consisting of the following sections: Your health (PROMIS Global-10, WHO-5, and others), Managing your health and health care (PorterNovelli and others), Your experience of health care (P3CEQ and others), About yourself (demographic variables). In addition, a provider questionnaire was developed collecting information on service delivery. The questionnaires were cognitively tested before being piloted in a Field Trial. The PaRIS conceptual framework and questionnaire developments will be presented in the upcoming WONCA Europe 2022 Conference in London. Most countries sample providers first, and then patients through participating providers. Few countries sample providers and patients separately due to existing data systems in place or administrative issues with retrieving patient contacts.

PAGE 23

F E A T U R E D

S T O R I E S

WONCA NEWS

FEATURED STORIES

Countries developed written plans, so called Country Road Maps, detailing implementation of the PaRIS survey in their respective countries to address country-specific characteristics while ensuring international comparability. Participating countries are now piloting PaRIS questionnaires as well as their implementation plans. This enables improving the questionnaires, ensuring adequate performance and offering insights into how the questionnaires could be modified to reduce the burden of administration while balancing comprehensiveness and metric performance. The main Survey will begin in the end of 2022.

WONCA HAS BEEN INVOLVED THROUGHOUT THE PARIS SURVEY IN VARIOUS ROLES Successfully building a survey on this scale is a joined effort and requires the support of policy makers, patients, care providers and academics from across the globe. WONCA has been involved in the design of the PaRIS survey as part of the initial reflection committee, namely Task Force, with contributions of WONCA leadership and membership, including Amanda Howe, Job Metsemakers and Jose M Valderas and in the development and implementation as advisor to the decision-making committee, namely the Working Party for PaRIS, with contributions of Anna Stavdal. In addition, many family doctors from WONCA have taken roles in the PaRIS survey as: • National Project Managers (Zalika KlemencKetis from Slovenia and Bohumil Seifert from Czech Republic)responsible for the implementation of the PaRIS survey in their respective countries, • Consortium partners (Jose M Valderas, University of Exeter and National University of Singapore , Chair of WONCA Working Party on Quality and Safety)- one of the Consortium leads

is assisting the OECD methodologically in the development of patient and provider questionnaires and implementation of the PaRIS survey, including development and implementation of the analytical strategy, • Experts in the Technical Advisory Committee (Mehmet Akman, Chair of WONCA Working Party on Research; Michael Kidd, Past WONCA President; Toni Dedeu, WHO European Center for Primary Health Care)- providing methodological advice on international level, and • Team members in the International Project Management team (Candan Kendir, OECD)developing and managing the PaRIS survey on international level. Other family doctors have contributed in addition to the ones named here and many more are anticipate to contribute in the near future. PAGE 24

F E A T U R E D

S T O R I E S

WONCA NEWS

FEATURED STORIES

INDIVIDUAL FAMILY DOCTORS WILL BENEFIT FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE PARIS SURVEY The support of family doctors can substantially improve response rates among patients; in return, family doctors will receive feedback data on the outcomes and experiences in their populations. Individual family doctors are involved in the PaRIS survey in various roles, as informants (by completing a provider questionnaire themselves), as partners of the local research team (amongst others, by selecting and recruiting eligible patients) and as stakeholders or end-users. International and national PaRIS teams have been working to limit additional workload, for example by collecting responses on service delivery from other primary care providers in the same clinic or dedicating additional people to support family doctors in retrieving patient lists. The OECD and its partners are committed to the highest standards of international compliance with data protection laws, regulation, and rules. More information on data protection and privacy can be found here. The results of the PaRIS survey will be fed back to family doctors and their practice team, where relevant, therefore, they can see how outcomes and experiences of their population compares to those of regional, national, and international peers. No benchmarking across practices will be reported publicly as the PaRIS survey has not been developed for this purpose. Interested family doctors could identify their national contact person here and retrieve more information regarding the PaRIS survey in their respective countries.

EXTENDING THE COLLABORATION VIA THE WONCA WORKING PARTY IN QUALITY AND SAFETY The WONCA Working Party on Quality and Safety is planning to build upon this successful and mutually benefitting collaboration as part of the WP´s strategic plan for coming years. The appointment of Candan Kendir as WP’s Executive as liaison with the OECD will facilitate further development of the collaboration with OECD in quality and safety in Primary Care in coordination with WONCA leadership. PAGE 25

WONCA NEWS

F E A T U R E D

S T O R I E S FEATURED STORIES

RE-LAUNCH

PLANETARY HEALTH COURSES On July 15th all three Planetary Health courses of TelessaúdeRS-UFRGS in partnership between TelessaúdeRS-UFRGS, Planetary Health Alliance (PHA) and World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA) will be relaunched in an online event on the youtube channel of TeleRS at 8PM UTC. To watch the event, click here. Recently, the WHO-Civil Society Working Group to Advance Action on Climate Change and Health, launched an open letter to universities on the importance of climate change in health education: A call for strengthening climate change education for all health professionals. The document mentions all three Brazilian courses about the topic as examples of resources for learning about it. For the coordinator of TelessaúdeRS-UFRGS Roberto Umpierre, it is a great honor to have the work developed within the project recognized and recommended by a multilateral organization such as the WHO. “It is a TeleRS commitment to strengthen our area of education. We are always innovating in search of protagonism in the segment, and trying to reduce the time between the production of knowledge and its arrival at the audience in assistance. Now we are going even further, with our courses reaching healthcare professionals around the world.” Altogether, more than 6,000 people have already signed up for the courses. The international versions had the participation of people from more than 69 countries, from all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. In the last edition, all courses had more than 90% of participant satisfaction.

The WONCA version of the course was especially important for primary care health professionals around the world. Family doctor Paula Henry, from Trinidad and Tobago, says that taking the course helped her improve her clinical skills and think outside the box. “The course was extremely relevant to our practice. Teaching about heat-related disorders, for instance, was very helpful because we have a lot of environmental workers, and the course helped us pay more attention to conditions like heat stroke,” she says. Air and water pollution, Food and food systems, Mental health, heat waves, infectious diseases are some of the topics covered in the courses. In the new edition, which will be launched in July, the planetary health course focused on Primary Care will also have a new module on migrations. Professor Charlotte Scheerens is a Research Associate at the University of Ghent and Harvard Medical School and one of the authors of this module. According to Scherrens the goal is to provide timely, effective, appropriate, and efficient healthcare in the context of changing migration flows, climate shocks and stresses to which our healthcare systems will need to prepare and adapt. “To minimize barriers to accessing health services for migrants and their families, health systems need to become more inclusive for climate migrants.”

PAGE 26

WONCA NEWS

F E A T U R E D

S T O R I E S

RE-LAUNCH PLANETARY HEALTH COURSES

FEATURED STORIES

The course relaunch event will have the participation of Dr. Carlos Faerron Guzmán, representing the Planetary Health Alliance - PHA, Dr. Özden Gökdemir, representing WONCA Environment, and the family and community doctor Mayara Floss, one of the creators of the course. The event will be led by the professor and coordinator of TelessaúdeRS-UFRGS, Roberto Umpierre. All courses are free and available on the Moodle TelessaúdeRS distance learning platform. Enrollment opens on July 11 and classes can be held until the end of the year, at the student's pace. Anyone can enroll in any or all of the courses. More information can be obtained by emailing ead@telessauders.ufrgs.br.

PAGE 27

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

C O N F E R E N C E S

WORLD RURAL HEALTH CONFERENCE

WONCA CONFERENCES

LIMERICK, IRELAND 2022

During four days, the University of Limerick became the meeting point for hundreds of doctors from around the globe to discuss the challenges and experiences in rural health and medicine. The event, hosted by the Irish College of General Practitioners, the University of Limerick School of Medicine, and the Rural, Island and Dispensing Doctors of Ireland was the first biannual WONCA World Rural taking place face to face since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Issues around the limited supply of high-quality rural healthcare professionals and leaders, as well as a ‘green agenda’, were additional topics of discussion, along with the challenges and opportunities for the rural health sector and the early career chances for professionals interested in living and working in rural areas. Besides raising awareness about global rural health, the event also promoted the Irish culture with multiple demonstrations, music, and dance typical of the region.

Under the theme, ‘Improving Health, Empowering Communities’, the event explored how communities can be empowered to improve their own health and the health of those around them. Keynote speakers included Dr Anna Stavdal, WONCA World President, Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme; and Professor John Gillies, Honorary Professor of General Practice, University of Edinburgh Codirector, University of Edinburgh Global Compassion Initiative, Global Health Academy.

PAGE 28

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

C O N F E R E N C E S WONCA CONFERENCES

LIMERICK, IRELAND 2022

RURAL SEEDS RAISING AWARENESS

It was the first time in over two years that we could all meet in person for a Rural WONCA conference. It was also the first WONCA conference for many of our new Rural Seeds Ambassadors. We had the chance to learn about rural medicine in Ireland, exchange ideas with people from all over the world and network with peers. Many thanks to our Irish hosts!

How to Create Animated Videos to Promote Health Education and Empowerment in Rural Areas

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS Keynote by Mayara Floss on Equity

WORKSHOPS Rural Development Connecting the Dots

for

Rural

Health

Participants discussed ways in which better collaboration across sectors (education, engineering, government, local business) may be better harnessed to improve infrastructure and access to healthcare. They were encouraged to think beyond healthcare and medicine and look towards other factors that affect people's behaviors and health outcomes.

This was led by Dr Mercy Wanjala, Dr Sneha P Kotian and Dr Veronika Rasic. It explored the critical role that rural infrastructure and socio economic development play in access to healthcare in rural areas.

This workshop was led by Dr Marcela Araujo De Oliveira Santana and it aimed to introduce participants to video creation. Visual media can be a powerful tool to convey our message about the importance of rural health and bring more attention to health inequity.

PAGE 29

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

C O N F E R E N C E S

LIMERICK, IRELAND 2022

WONCA CONFERENCES

THE RURAL SEEDS TEAM RAISING AWARENESS

PAGE 30

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

C O N F E R E N C E S WONCA CONFERENCES

LIMERICK, IRELAND 2022 RURAL SEEDS RAISING AWARENESS

Rural Medicine Beyond 2025 This workshop was led by Dr Veronika Rasic and Alexandra Ferrara with the aim of exploring the future of rural medicine. The discussion focused on challenges that we face in the next five to ten years and what issues need to be addressed to improve healthcare for rural communities. The outcome document can be found HERE.

Find out more on Twitter @ruralseeds and Instagram @rural.seeds By Dr Veronika Rasic July 2022

Rural Café The cafe was moderated by Dr Amber Wheatley and we had a diverse panel of students, young healthcare professionals, rural health experts. They reflected on their experiences of rural health education during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can watch the full Rural Café HERE. At the end of the Rural Café we launched our next call for new Rural Seeds Ambassadors. You can apply HERE. Applications are open until the 31st of July 2022.

PAGE 31

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

C O N F E R E N C E S WONCA CONFERENCES

27TH WONCA EUROPE CONFERENCE LONDON, UK

Thank you for joining the 27th WONCA Europe conference, 28 June - 1 July 2022 personally in London or remotely from your home. Your participation and engagement contributed to the great success of this event. We hope that you have been inspired, with new general practice knowledge, great memories & long-lasting connections. The 27th WONCA Europe Conference, London, United Kingdom, 28/06/2022-01/07/2022 has been accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME®) with 15 European CME credits (ECMEC®s). On-demand access will be available for three months. You can view sessions you may have missed, and revisit those you wish to see again on the conference virtual platform. Log in as before using your email address and password.

PAGE 32

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

THE

C O N F E R E N C E S

#woncafamily

WONCA CONFERENCES

AT THE WONCA EUROPE CONFERENCE 2022 We were delighted to meet again with colleagues and members of the #WONCAfamily face to face during the WONCA Europe Conference 2022 in London! Thank you for being part of this successful event! See you at the next WONCA Conferences!

PAGE 33

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

C O N F E R E N C E S

7TH WONCA AFRICA REGION CONFERENCE 2022

WONCA CONFERENCES

ABUJA, NIGERIA | 24 - 26 NOVEMBER 2022

WELCOME MESSAGE My dear Friends and Colleagues, I am Dr Dan Abubakar, the WONCA Africa Region President and the Chairman of the Host Organising Committee for the 7th WONCA Africa Region conference taking place in Abuja, Nigeria from 24th to 26th November 2022 at the NAF Conference Centre. The conference is tagged “WONCA Abuja 2022” I welcome you all to the event which promises to be very exciting and afford us the opportunity to meet physically, network, discuss and implement positive changes. It will be the second time Nigeria is hosting this event, the first was held here in Abuja 21 years ago. The conference will be [HYBRID] both physical and virtual and will afford colleagues who are unable to travel to Nigeria, the opportunity to fully participate in the event. The theme of the conference is: Africa’s Health Systems and Preparedness for Global Health Emergencies. The Sub-themes of the Conference are: 1. Psychosocial and economic burden of global health emergencies: The African perspective. 2. Challenges to providing effective frontline healthcare in Africa. 3. Ensuring health personnel safety during epidemics and pandemics. 4. Sustaining health professionals’ mentorship and education during epidemics and pandemics. The topics were painstakingly selected to reflect and address the present day healthcare challenges facing African family physicians. I invite you all to register for the conference and join us in Abuja in November 2022. Abuja is the administrative and political capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a serene city with modern facilities for learning and a city known for culture and hospitality. A city with many monuments, historical sites and attractions.

Abuja is defined by Aso Rock, a 400 metre monolith left by water erosion. The Presidential Complex, National Assembly, Supreme Court and much of the city extend to the south of the rock. Zuma Rock, a 792 metre monolith, lies just north of the city. We look forward to welcoming you and hundreds of family doctors from around the world to the conference 24-26 NOV 2022. We promise to make the event exciting, interesting and educationally rewarding.

DR DAN ABUBAKAR Chairman, LOC woncaafricaregion@gmail.com

PAGE 34

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

C O N F E R E N C E S

WONCA ASIA PACIFIC REGIONAL CONFERENCE

WONCA CONFERENCES

BALI, INDONESIA | 5 - 7 DECEMBER

WELCOME MESSAGE Dear Friends and Colleagues, I am Isti Ilmiati Fujiati, on behalf of the Host Organizing Chair would like to extend to you a warm invitation for The Wonca Asia Pacific Regional Conference coming up in Bali, the Island of Gods, in 5-7 December 2022. The Wonca Asia Pacific Regional Conference this time will be the first face to face international conference held after the two years period of Covid-19 pandemic. It will be a great opportunities to share our experiences in family medicine and primary care which play important roles in most parts of the world during the pandemic. This conference will give us all chances to meet, discuss and implement positive change under the theme primary health care transformation, challenges and opportunities for family medicine. Knowing Bali as one of awesome destination with numerous beautiful beaches and sites will be an additional pleasure to all participants. In addition, the hospitality of Balinese is also a hallmark and can make us feel at home.

sessions, symposiums, oral and poster presentations. We will have as well credible speakers from well-known institutes. We are really proud to host and present this incredible event. We sincerely hope that the event will be beneficial for all of us and we surely are looking forward to see you all in Bali. Isti Ilmiati Fujiati Chair of Wonca Asia Pacific Regional Conference

The Wonca Asia Pacific Regional Conference will consist of pre-conference, workshops, plenary

PAGE 35

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

C O N F E R E N C E S

7TH WONCA EMR REGIONAL CONFERENCE

WONCA CONFERENCES

MUSCAT, OMAN 10 -12 NOVEMBER 2022

Join us in Oman this November as we discus the future of family medicine in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: Connect with some of the greatest minds in family medicine.

WELCOME MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT WONCA EMR As the President of The Wonca EMR Organization, it is my great honour and pleasure to welcome you to the 7th edition of The Wonca East Mediterranean Region Family Medicine Congress 2022, which will be held from 10th – 12th November 2022 in Muscat – Oman. This year’s conference has been designed to provide an innovative and comprehensive overview of the latest research developments in Family Medicine and Primary Health Care. Over the course of three days, the conference will feature symposia, keynote sessions, parallel workshops and abstract presentations. We hereby invite you all to share the results of your scientific research with us by submitting an abstract of your work, and by joining us in sharing our vision of The 7th Wonca EMR Family Medicine Congress 2022: a vision to provide high quality educational resources and to enable Family Practitioners to provide optimal care for patients.

We welcome you to the beautiful country of Oman, and wish you three days of education, knowledge sharing and unforgettable experinces. I look forward to meeting you at Wonca EMR 2022!

PROF TAGHREED FARAHAT PRESIDENT – WONCA EMR

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT, OMAN FAMILY MEDICINE SOCIETY On behalf of the Oman Family Medicine Society, I am delighted to invite you to the 7th WONCA EMR Family Medicine Congress, taking place in Muscat, Oman on 10th – 12th November 2022.

PAGE 36

WONCA NEWS

W O N C A

C O N F E R E N C E S

7TH WONCA EMR REGIONAL CONFERENCE

We are committed to offer you all our warmest welcome, following the tradition of hospitality that distinguishes the Arab world and Muscat in particular, a city universally known for its incredible capacity of offering unforgettable memories to all its guests. The scientific meeting is being formulated to include well renowned experts in family medicine that will share their expertise. We are strongly convinced that all participants will contribute to the success of the event by sharing their knowhow and integrating their experience in a lively and useful exchange.

WONCA CONFERENCES

A commercial exhibition where companies will showcase their latest products and services will also be present, and we look forward to welcoming our industry’s innovations. We look forward to seeing you in this beautiful city of Muscat!

DR ABDULAZIZ AL-MAHREZI PRESIDENT – OMAN FAMILY MEDICINE SOCIETY PRESIDENT-ELECT – WONCA EMR

The conference will be CME accredited and we encourage the submissions of abstracts, which will be reviewed by our scientific committee, included in the program and thus empower its scientific value.

VISIT WONCAEMR2022.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

28TH WONCA EUROPE CONFERENCE 7 - 10 JUN 2023, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

PAGE 37

A N N O U N C E M E N T S &

U P D A T E S

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES

WEBINAR 3 OF HEALTHY LUNG MASTERCLASS ASIA Healthy Lung Masterclass Asia is an educational programme developed for primary care physicians across Asia, in collaboration with representatives from WONCA. The programme includes a series of six webinars on key topics in asthma care.

21 JULY 2022, 19:00–20:15 (UTC+8) REGISTER NOW

Join us for the third webinar, “Optimizing management of asthma in adults: The latest evidence and recommendations”. The webinar will be chaired by Dr Angus Lo Ho Yin (University of Hong Kong) and will feature Prof Helen Reddel (Global Initiative for Asthma [GINA]) and Clinical A/Prof Koh Siyue Mariko (Duke-National University Singapore Medical School), who will discuss 2022 updates to the GINA guidelines and their implications for clinical practice, long-term treatment goals, and strategies to address gaps in primary care in Asia.

WHO GHWN YOUTH HUB'S CALL FOR ACTION FOR BUILDING A RESILIENT AND ADAPTABLE YOUTH HEALTH WORKFORCE WHO GHWN Youth Hub's 'Call for Action for Building a resilient and adaptable youth health workforce' has been launched! Endorsed by key international organisations for health students and early career professionals, including WONCA Young Doctors' Movements (YDM) this Call for Action reflects the global voice of youth. Share it locally, regionally and globally to advocate for youth health workers' rights worldwide! PAGE 38

A N N O U N C E M E N T S &

U P D A T E S

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES

WFPHA: 17TH WORLD CONGRESS ON PUBLIC HEALTH The 17th World Congress on Public Health – an opportunity not to be missed! Over 3,000 public health professionals and researchers, policymakers, and students will convene in Rome, Italy, from 2 to 6 May 2023 for the 17th World Congress on Public Health, a momentous event organised by the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) in association with the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SItI) and the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER). The 17th World Congress on Public Health coincides with a critical juncture for our world. The COVID-19 pandemic has indelibly altered our planet and our lives, exacerbating existing inequalities and alerting us to the threats of an unsustainable mode of production. Conflicts worldwide, from Ukraine to Afghanistan, from Syria to Ethiopia — to cite a few — have further destabilised the world, alongside the devastating consequences felt by all those directly affected. And together with the pandemic and the war, we have failed to mitigate the effects of climate change — the pandemic itself a potential consequence — with environmental disasters growing in frequency and impact. The theme of the Congress — A World in Turmoil: Opportunities to Focus on the Public’s Health — reflects our commitment, as the global health community, to work together in and outside of our respective fields to promote health equity and to build a more sustainable and just future.

This World Congress on Public Health will be an opportunity to foster collaboration and cocreation of a vision informed by our professional knowledge and that of the communities we serve. Empowering communities and becoming more responsive to them will lie at the heart of any attempt to move forward, to safeguard and nurture a world in need of healing and protection. Registration is now open! The online abstract submission will open on 1 September 2022 and close on 9 December 2022. Don't miss the opportunity to share your knowledge and experience and inspire other public health professionals around the world! For more information, visit https://wcph.org. We look forward to meeting you all in Rome to build a better future! Discover the first announcement here.

PAGE 39

A N N O U N C E M E N T S &

U P D A T E S

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES

JOIN THE 11TH EURIPA RURAL HEALTH FORUM The 11th EURIPA Rural Health Forum will take place from 6th to 8th October 2022 at Catania, Sicily. The venue for the Forum is the Diocesan Museum on via Etnea 8, in Catania. Programme details It is anticipated that the programme will consist of two parallel sessions, made up of oral communications, workshops and posters. An outline of the programme is available here. Practice visits will be arranged for Saturday morning 8th October but capacity will be limited so please sign up when you register for the Forum. The registration fee includes coffee breaks and the welcome reception on the terrace of the Diocesan Museum. But please note that lunches are not included in the registration fee – delegates will be free to ‘do their own thing’ at lunch time. There are many cafes and hotels in the vicinity of the museum for lunches. The lunch breaks will enable you to enjoy this time visiting the characteristic fish market or tasting typical Sicilian food in the restaurants and bars nearby which offer also a variety of specialties such as arancini, the refreshing granita and the unique ricotta flavour of the famous cannoli. During the break, you can take a stroll in via Etnea – the high street facing the event’s venue – and enjoy the view of the baroque palaces, go shopping, have a glass of wine al fresco or take a rest in one of the hotels located at walking distance. For the sea enthusiasts, just 2 km from the city centre, there is a pleasant seaside promenade going from the golden sand beaches to the black volcanic lava stone cliffs.

The welcome reception and coffee breaks will take place on the terrace of the Diocesan Museum, featuring an amazing view of the city and Mount Etna. We will hold the Rural Dinner with typical Sicilian dishes at the “Dimora De Mauro” a building from the beginning of the nineteenth century located in the baroque heart of the historical centre of Catania. It is on Via Gesualdo Clementi, a ten minute walk from the Forum venue. Places at the Rural Dinner are limited. When you register to attend the Forum you can reserve your place at the Rural Dinner (including wine) and payment of 40 euro will be required at the same time as you make your payment to attend the Forum. There is an opportunity to explore more of Sicily by taking part in our ‘Tourist Offer’: a bus trip to Syracuse and Ortigia on the afternoon of Saturday 8th October. You can find out more here. You will need to pay for the 'Tourist Offer' at the same time as you make your payment to attend the Forum.

PAGE 40

A N N O U N C E M E N T S &

U P D A T E S

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES

MCGILL FMER: INTERNATIONAL AWARDS IN FAMILY MEDICINE EDUCATION RESEARCH The McGill Family Medicine Education Research Group (FMER) is proud to announce the sponsorship of ‘The Pierre Pluye International Mixed Methods Thesis and Dissertations Awards in Family Medicine Education’ to celebrate the original and influential contribution of Dr. Pierre Pluye, founding member of the FMER, to the advancement of mixed methods research and mixed studies reviews in general, and of the family medicine education field of inquiry in particular. These awards are aimed to distinguish the work of promising new researchers committed to the advancement of science in family medicine education research around the world. As of the academic year 2021-2022, two academic awards – one for the best MSc thesis, and one for the best PhD dissertation – will therefore be granted by an Award FMER Evaluation Committee chaired by Dr. Pluye. The committee will include at least two other FMER researchers, and two FMER-affiliated graduate students (one MSc student and one PhD student or candidate). ELIGIBILITY

Submission period: May 1st to August 31st, 2022. Candidates must have completed their thesis or dissertation no earlier than two academic years prior submission, i.e., before August 31st, 2020. The thesis or dissertation must meet 3 criteria: a)be related to research in family medicine education; b)must uses mixed methods in empirical research and/or literature review; c)be written in English or French.

APPLICATION – PROCEDURE

Applications must include the five documents detailed below. Incomplete applications will be disregarded: • A cover letter in which the candidate clearly indicates the award s/he is applying for (thesis or dissertation);introduces him/herself, the program and institution in which s/he graduated, as well as his/her research supervisors; and briefly describes the investigation conducted. • An abstract of maximum 500 words that summarizes the thesis/dissertation. Particular attention should be given to the description and justification of the mixed methods (empirical research and/or review) adopted in accordance with GRAMMS (Good Reporting of Mixed Methods Studies), and of the major theoretical, empirical, methodological, and practical contributions to the sciences of family medicine education. • A copy of the thesis in PDF format. • An updated version of the candidate’s Curriculum Vitae. • A letter of support from the candidate’s principal research supervisor (specifying that the thesis has been approved to obtein a PHD Degree. Read the complete information here.

PAGE 41