About WONCA
2025 at a Glance
Key Dates 2025
Executive Committee 2023-2025
Executive Committee 2025-2027
President Report
Immediate Past President Report
Strategic Plan
CEO Report
World Family Doctor Day
MDD Minds Project
Project Labs
Space Project Collaboration Hub
Honorary Treasurer Report
WHO Liaison Report
Member Organisations
Regional Reports
Working Parties
Special Interest Groups
Young Doctor Movements
WONCA Awards
Closing Remarks
The WONCA World Secretariat is responsible for the day-to-day administration and coordination of the organization’s global work. It has been based in Brussels, Belgium, since November 2020.
WONCA Secretariat Avenue des Arts 7-8 1210 Brussels, Belgium
WONCA World Conference - Lisbon, Portugal, 17-21 September
WONCA Asia Pacific Conference - South Korea, 24-27 April
WONCA East Mediterranean Conference - Morocco, 8-11 May
WONCA South Asia Conference - India, 4-6 April
A/Prof Karen Flegg
A/Prof Viviana Martinez Bianchi
Prof Karen Price
Prof Maria Pilar Astier Pena
Dr Steve Mowle
Dr Jane Namatovu
Dr Brian Chang
Dr Abdulaziz Al Mahrezi
Prof Shlomo Vinker
Dr Dora Bernal
Dr Victor Ng
Dr K Sri Ranjan
Dr Cheryl Chan
Dr Harris Lygidakis
President
President-Elect
Member-at-Large
Member-at-Large
Member-at-Large
Africa Region President
Asia Pacific Region President
East Mediterranean Region President
Europe Region President
Iberoamericana Region President
North America Region President
South Asia Region President
Young Doctor Representative
CEO
A/Prof Viviana Martinez Bianchi
A/Prof Karen Flegg
President
Immediate Past President
Prof Maria Pilar Astier Pena. President-Elect
Dr Cheryl Chan.
Member-at-Large
Dr Kim Yu Member-at-Large
Dr Steve Mowle
Prof Bob Mash.
Dr Brian Chang
Dr Faisal Al Naser.
Prof Thomas Frese
Dr Dora Bernal
Dr Tania Whitby-Best
Dr Pramendra Prasad Gupta
Member-at-Large
Africa Region President
Asia Pacific Region President
East Mediterranean Region President
Europe Region President
Iberoamericana Region President
North America Region President
South Asia Region President
Dr Fabian Dupont Young Doctor Representative
Dr Harris Lygidakis CEO
A/Prof Viviana Martinez-Bianchi
Installed as WONCA President in September, 2025, I have continued to advance global advocacy, strengthened partnerships, and promoted health equity in family medicine. Highlights include representing WONCA at WHA78 and the OECD PaRIS launch, signing a landmark PAHO–WONCA MOU,
AAFP Congress of Delegates October 3-6, 2026 Anaheim
As WONCA president, I was invited by the AAFP to attend of Delegates, the policy-making body of the academy: four hall to share and understand AAFP priorities and advocacy, hearings, listen to officer and candidates’ speeches, hospitali elections, and networking.I addressed the Congress of Delegates the Congress sharing about WONCA.
We also met with young doctors and student movement brainstorm how we can work together in support for Polaris. America President-elect Esther Johnson who was also at WONCA President Rich Roberts.
Harris and I attended the California Academy of Family
Physicians (CAFP) reception, invited by its President-elect, Dr. Kim Yu at Downton Disney. Yes, we had fun! and we also attended the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians dinner, invited by NCAFP President Dr. Mark McNeill. The time in Anaheim provided us with opportunity to network as a WONCA team with many global leaders members of AAFP, and to work together with Kim Yu and
orient her to her role as WONCA-WHO Liaison together with Dr. Pilar Astier to ensure continuity and provide guidance.
AAFP Global Health Summit October 4-5 Anaheim CA
I spoke about WONCA at the AAFP Global Health Summit, where I had the opportunity to meet with some former WONCA leaders and giants in global health education, WHOliaison work and the development of Family Medicine around the world, Cindy Haq, Dan Oostegaard, and Calvin Wilson. We met with many North America global health leaders, including Shailendra Prasad, Christy O’Dea, Esther Johnston.
I was inspired by the presentations given by Drs. Esther Johnston and Cindy Haq inviting us to transform crisis into opportunity and imagine a different way forward, and by Dr Shailendra Prasad’s keynote on Decolonizing Global Health.
PAHO–WONCA Attendance to American Public Health Association (APHA) 2025 Meeting in DC: I was invited to APHA 2025 by PAHO. I presented together with PAHO in a panel at the APHA 2025 Annual Meeting. My topic area was “Family Medicine and Community Medicine in the Americas: Core Values, Workforce Realities, and Training Trends”.
I was invited by the Scottsdale Institute to speak at their SUMMIT | 2025 Population Health, Access and Primary Care Innovation https://scottsdaleinstitute.org/event/summit-2025-population-health-access-andprimary-care-innovation/ where I had the opportunity to speak about health equity from the perspective of my different roles at Duke University, LATIN-19, FIEL-NC and WONCA.
I was invited by the Société Tunisienne de Médecine Générale et Médecine de Famille (STMGF) to attend their 8th National Congress of General Practice and Family Medicine of Tunisia. Since I was unable to attend in person, I created a short video with greetings and encouragement to become members of WONCA> STMGF is very kin on strengthening family medicine in Tunisia and across Francophone Africa.
Strengthening Global Partnerships through Advocacy and Global Representation
World Health Assembly 78 (May, 2025) As part of the WONCA delegation to WHA78 in Geneva, I emphasized the voice of family doctors in critical discussions on universal health coverage, noncommunicable diseases, human resources for health, family medicine education, and climate resilience in health systems with WHO officers and representatives of other global organizations. Our participation reinforced WONCA’s alignment with WHO’s global agenda for primary health care and people-centered systems. My vision for our work with WHO is to have a strong presence, not only through our official representatives, but also through amplifying the voice of family doctors and GPs through participation in side events, —as reflected in this year’s active engagement at WHA78.
OECD PaRIS (Feb, 2025) I represented WONCA at the OECD Patient-Reported Indicator Surveys (PaRIS) launch meeting in Lisbon, Feb 20, 2025, joining a high-level panel on Improving Primary Care in Light of PaRIS Results. During my intervention at the event, I highlighted how PaRIS confirms what family doctors know well: when patients receive continuous, person-centered care, outcomes improve and trust in health systems grows. Yet the report also exposes persistent inequities—particularly for women, lower-income groups, and those with less education—and shows that providers face unsustainable pressures without fair pay and support. My message was clear: governments must urgently invest in primary care, not as a cost, but as an effective investment for the health of patients, providers, and societies everywhere. I am thankful to the many colleagues who participated in the PaRIS initiative from its inception.
interestandseveralothers—includingItaly,Brazil,andKorea—expressed the meeting. U.S. participation for Cycle 2 remains undecided. recognized WONCA’s strong contributions in Cycle 1, including networks, providing contact lists, issuing endorsements, co ensuring active engagement of primary care professionals. Strategic WONCAincludeexpandingLMICengagement,developingregion tools, leveraging PaRIS findings for global advocacy, and participationinlearningexchanges.Nextstepsincludereaffirming role,coordinatingwithRegionalPresidentsonparticipationexpansion, 2026CommunicationandEngagementPlan.
PAHO–WONCA Memorandum of Understanding (2025) After effort,inApril2025wesignedthe“FrameworkAgreementBetween Health Organization, Regional Office of the World Health Organization, OrganizationofFamilyDoctorsforImprovingPrimaryHealthCare FamilyandCommunityMedicineinHealthSystems.”Iwasdeeply landmarkagreementonbehalfofWONCAWorld,togetherwith DoraBernal(Iberoamerica)andVictorNg(NorthAmerica),our PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa. This MOU represents a strengthening family medicine in the Americas—supporting enhancingprimarycare,andadvancinguniversalhealthcoverage establishesthefoundationforongoingcollaborationincriticalareas climateresilience,andcapacitybuilding.ThankfultoJamesFitzgerald Health Systems and Services), and Past-Presidents Jaqueline Iberoamericana), Jeff Markuns (WONCA North America) for conversationin2023.Aspartofthiscollaboration,weadvanced ofFamilyMedicineprofessionalsintheAmericasinpartnership America, WONCA-CIMF, and the PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center New Mexico. The research team published this work in an communitymedicineworkforcetrainingandpracticeintheAmericas DonosoEB,MorenoDiasB,Clithero-EridonAR,PonzoJ,Bouquin BianchiV,DiazdeValleY.Familyandcommunitymedicineworkforce in the Americas. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2025 10.26633/RPSP.2025.125.PMID:41476867;PMCID:PMC12752389.
As part of the work of developing Family Medicine in the Americas, I together with other colleagues, have been working in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS), the Guatemalan Social Security Institute (IGSS), and the Universidad de San Carlos of Guatemala to establish a Family Medicine residency program has advanced, with momentum strengthened with meetings during the North America WONCA Regional Meeting (October 2023) and the CIMF Regional Meeting in Panama (October 2024). These efforts build on the foundation laid by CIMF leaders at the Cumbre de Guatemala in 2022.
Starfield Summit IV, Toronto, Canada, May 2025. I participated in the Starfield Summit 2025, hosted by the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, with global partners. The Summit brought together family physicians, nurses, policymakers, educators, researchers, patient partners, and PHC champions from 23 countries and all six WHO and seven WONCA regions to reaffirm commitment to equitable, people-centered, and resilient health systems. Inspired by Dr. Barbara Starfield’s legacy and the approaching 50th anniversary of Alma-Ata, the Outcome Statement highlighted family medicine as a vital enabler of primary health care, calling for bold action to address fragmented services, underinvestment, and health inequities. Participants pledged to strengthen workforce development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement to build resilient, equitable health systems and advance universal health coverage.
We also joined the inaugural meeting of the Global Commission for 21st Century Healthcare, convened as part of the WSIS+20 United Nations General Assembly HighLevel Meeting. Representing family doctors worldwide, I emphasized a core WONCA principle: digital transformation must strengthen—not replace—the human relationships at the heart of primary care.
Asia Pacific
26th WONCA Asia Pacific Regional Conference, Busan, Korea (2025): This conference was inspiring and energizing. Family doctors and primary care leaders from across the region shared innovation, passion, and commitment to high-value, people-centered care. It was wonderful to see young doctors presenting their work and contributing to our shared vision. Many thanks to the Korean Academy of Family Medicine and the organizing committee for their warm hospitality.
Iberoamericana
WONCA Iberoamericana, Cumbre de Montevideo (2025): Together with WONCA CEO and WONCA -WHO Liaison we addressed colleagues gathered at this important high-level summit via zoom from the World health Assembly.
WONCA South Asia Regional Conference, Bangalore, India (2025): Presented two keynotes: “Advancing Health for All through Equity, Excellence, and Innovation in Family Medicine” and “Lift as You Climb: Inspiring a New Generation of Family Doctors.” The latter was part of the YDM preconference and emphasized mentorship and collective progress. I attended the regional council meeting.
WONCA North America Regional Virtual session (August 2025): I participated in theUniting for Primary Care: A Regional Conversation, providing updates on the WONCA–PAHO Agreement / MOU and the Current Landscape of Family Medicine in the Americas.
I was honored to receive multiple invitations from WONCA member organizations and partner societies throughout 2025.
In Brazil, I participated in the 18º Congreso Brasileiro de MFC in Manaus, where over 3,000 participants gathered in the Amazon region to discuss primary care and people centered care.
In the United States, I addressed the AAFP Congress of Delegates and engaged with leaders and young doctors at the Global Health Summit in Anaheim, California. In Tunisia, I delivered a video keynote for the STMGF National Congress, and in Turkey, I provided the virtual opening keynote for the Eastern Mediterranean Family Medicine Congress.
In India, I was honored with the AFPI Honorary Fellowship and engaged with leaders advancing family medicine across the country.
I also joined colleagues from the Argentine Federation of Family and General Medicine, speaking virtually to participants gathered in Buenos Aires.
A consistent focus of my contributions has been equity in health. Key actions included: Advocating for the creation of a WONCA Working Party on Health for All, consolidating efforts from multiple SIGs and catalyzing a unified voice on health justice. (ongoing) I initiated workshops to encourage the creation of Organizational Equity Committees (OECs) in each region, fostering greater representation and inclusion. Promoting OECs in WONCA regions to ensure equity is embedded at governance and operational levels, and leading workshops for regional presidents.
Leading equity-focused workshops across regions, including sessions on leadership, gender equity, and structural inequities in health.
Supporting our WONCA-WHO Liaison in the creation of global statements and WHO work
Publication Highlight: Caring for the Caregivers: A Global Imperative for Family Doctors’ Wellbeing
In August 2025, I co authored “Caring for the caregivers: a global imperative for family doctors’ wellbeing” together with Karen Flegg, in The Lancet Primary Care. The commentary highlights a growing global crisis:
family doctors are experiencing severe workforce shortages, burnout, and unsustainable workloads driven by systemic dysfunction rather than individual resilience. Despite strong evidence that primary care improves health outcomes and equity at lower cost, investment in this sector remains disproportionately low, placing increasing strain on clinicians and reducing access to care.
We argue that addressing burnout requires structural change- reducing administrative burden, improving staffing, fostering supportive and psychologically safe workplaces, and valuing the role of family doctors as essential to health system functioning. Personal self care alone cannot resolve the systemic pressures that drive moral distress and workforce attrition. Protecting the wellbeing of family doctors is a global health imperative and foundational to resilient, person centered primary care systems.
Collaboration with Working Parties and SIGs
I convened quarterly meetings with WONCA’s Working Parties (WPs) and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to ensure alignment across regions and foster collaboration. Key discussions addressed advancing partnerships with WHO, developing a global ethics curriculum, exploring ethical applications of AI in primary care, and preparing for WONCA’s role in the 50th Anniversary of Alma Ata in 2028.
I contributed through presentations and participation in multiple events they hosted, including:
How do patients experience primary care—and how can their voices drive better health systems? the second webinar of the series organized by the WONCA Working Party on Quality and Safety.
In addition, I co-chaired the search for new chair of the Interest Group on NCDs and chaired the Executive’s ad-hoc committee on international classification.
Working closely with our CEO and Communications Officer, I helped design the WONCA Collaboration Hub, a half-day session during the WONCA meeting in Lisbon, September 16, 2025. This Hub brought together WONCA’s WPs and SIGs, regional colleagues, and the Young Doctors Movement to strengthen and align initiatives through collaboration. Our goal is to bring diverse projects together to identify and prioritize concrete activities that no single group could achieve alone.
At Duke University’s Department of Family Medicine and Community Health in Durham, North Carolina, one of the oldest Family Medicine departments in the US. I see patients at the Duke Family Medicine Center in Durham, North Carolina and provide care in our Family Medicine center’s women’s health procedures clinic. In addition, I participate in newborn nursery rounds at Duke Regional Hospital, where our team operates a Family Medicine inpatient service, the newborn nursery, and a family medicine obstetrical service. In all these settings, we teach medical students, physician assistant students, and Family Medicine residents.
The other half of my time is dedicated to health equity and community engagement. I serve as co-principal investigator on the Fostering Insurance Enrollment Among Latinos in North Carolina project, a research, education, and policy initiative that involves community health workers across the state. In addition, I chair the Board of Directors of LATIN-19, a coalition advancing health equity for the Latino community. I am thankful to my department for lending my time and effort to WONCA world.
WONCA experienced a period of strength, advocacy, and collaboration—efforts I am proud to have contributed to. From signing the PAHO MOU and engaging at WHA78, to mentoring young doctors in South Asia and standing alongside colleagues in Kibera and Colombo, my aim has been to lift as I climb- ensuring that the progress we achieve together opens doors for others. These experiences have deepened my conviction that family doctors are essential not only to resilient health systems but also to advancing equity, social justice, and the health of our communities.
From September 2025 until December 2025, we continue the great work with a new executive team who has been working hard during a difficult and turbulent time in the world.
In today’s world, the strength and unity of family doctors’ organizations are more important than ever. In my role as WONCA President, I am committed to advancing health equity, supporting workforce development, and amplifying the voices of family doctors everywhere. The road ahead will be traveled with our Member Organizations, Council, and Executive team- fostering global partnerships, supporting regional and local innovations, and championing people-centered care that respects the diversity and unique needs of every community.
I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to WONCA President Karen Flegg, the 2023–2025 Executive team, and past presidents for their leadership, wisdom, mentorship, and dedication. With the guidance of our members, the energy of young doctors, and the spirit of collaboration that defines WONCA, I look forward to leading with vision, compassion, and determination- working together to inspire meaningful change, empower the next generation, and build stronger, healthier communities around the world.
A/Prof Karen Flegg
When I took office in October 2023 in Sydney, three words summed up what I wanted like to focus on as WONCA President - Governance Greening Growth. I begin this final report on my term of office with a fourth ‘G”, that of Gratitude.
Firstly, thank you to our Executive Committee for their
support to me, and dedication to duty from October 2023 to September 2025. The WONCA Executive is a board of governance, and these colleagues have been elected by Council, Regions or the Young Doctors Movement to represent family doctors from around the world. These colleagues have been great ambassadors for WONCA and have proven they are worthy of your confidence in having elected them. They have all been strong contributors. I acknowledge and thank them.
I thank our CEO, Harris Lygidakis, and his team at the secretariat: Andrea Zard, Diarmuid Hayes, Jöelle Mukena, Juan Diego Pedraza, Ólafur Björn Ásgeirsson, Fadia Challita, and for some of the year Roberto Muñoz Sierra. Our Secretariat team are doing the work that enables WONCA to operate – work that enables strong processes, excellent communication both within WONCA with members, committees, Working Parties and Special Interest Groups and with those outside
OrganisationPolicieschangemadeinApril2025.
APolicyofDeclarations(conflict)ofInterestandaCodeof byBylaws&GovernanceCommitteeforWONCAofficers.
FollowthroughonaresolutionofthepreviousExecutive whichweoverseeWorldconferencesincludingtoidentify Organizer(PCO)fortheWorldconferencesof20292031
appointedacommitteetoreviewtheofficialRequestfor comprehensivesearchprocess(committeemembers:Karen SteveMowle,andHarrisLygidakis).Thankyoutothissmall November2023through2024into2025,andresultedin KenesasthePCO.
ReintegrationofthefunctionsoftheWONCA-ICPCFoundation agreedinJanuary2025andhasprogressedthroughoutthe
The Executive Committee members who were selected CommitteesforOctober2023toSeptember2025were:
DrSteveMowle(UK)TreasurerandchairoftheFinanceCommitte
AdjProfKarenPrice(Australia)chairoftheBylawsandGovern
DrVictorNg(Canada)chairoftheMembershipCommittee
DrJaneNamatovou(Uganda)chairoftheOrganizationalEquity
AssocProfVivianaMartinez-Bianchi(USA/Argentina), Awardscommittee.
Thankyoutothesechairsandtheircommitteemembersfor donetoensurestronggovernanceonbehalfofeveryoneinWONCA
intheprocess.Thetaskforcehasworkedextremelyhardwith theleadershipofDrFrancineLemire,(Canada).Othermembers Murton(NewZealand),KatharinaSchmalstieg-Bahr(Germany), andTanTzeLee(Singapore).Iextendmythankstothemfor andtoFrancineinparticular.
Key recommendations included: adopting a “one Member structure, with additional votes based on size; lifting the membershipsforOrganisationsincountrieswhereaFullMember exists;reviewingthenewstructure7–10yearsafterimplementat Electionspolicy
InJanuary2025,wemovedtoconsiderstrongGovernance officers.ThisappropriatelyinvolvedtheBylawsandGovernance thedevelopmentofanElectionsConductPolicy(version1)and ElectionsCommitteetooverseetheleaduptothe2025elections arising.Thecommitteecomprisedthreepastpresidents,Prof chair),ProfAmandaHowe(UK)andDrDonaldLi(HongKong agreeingtotakeonanewrole.Theexperienceofthiscommittee CouncilinLisbonandfurtherrefiningofthisprocesswillcontinue ExecutiveCommitteeWork
The Executive Committee has worked on governance improvements operationincluding:
Executive meetings and work functions have been streamlined includingusinga“decision”agendaputtingdecisionanddiscussion shortermeetingsat1.5hoursandshorterpaperswithpage revisionoftheformandfunctionofminutes. UpskillingfinancialliteracyandreportingstandardswithTreasurer’s assistance.
Discussionsandclarityinmakingstatementsonspecific WONCAhasmadenumerousstatementsin2025,including providedbytheWHO–fortheserefertothePolicy website
humanitarianlawandtheprinciplesofmedicalneutrality.Such thelivesofthosedirectlyinvolved,butalsoundermineaccess communities,exacerbatinghumansuffering.
Statementsonthesafetyofhealthprofessionalsincludingin developedandapprovedbyWONCAExecutiveinJune24, December24.InAugust2025,WONCAExecutivemadeanother workerandpatientsafety-“StatementonProtectingHealth ConflictZones,IncludingGaza,UkraineandSudan”.
IhavebeenabletospeakaboutPlanetaryHealthin2025 conferenceinLisbon,attheRoyalNewZealandCollegeof WONCASouthAsiaRegionConferenceinBengaluru,India.In AsiaRegion(SAR)launchedaSARregionalWorkingPartyon Jyotika Gupta (India). This conference was the first SAR WONCA’sEquitableandSustainableEventsPolicydeveloped PartyonPlanetaryHealth(WPPH)toensureagreenerevent.
CLEANAIR:ThisyearhasseenalotofactionwiththeWHO signedtheWHOCleanAirCalltoAction(2025)andattended in March 2025, in Cartagena, Colombia, where Dr Alan medicine’sroleintacklingairpollution.WHOlaunchedtheAir ToolkitforHealthWorkers,whichWONCAhelpedtodevelop.
AtWorldHealthAssemblyin2025oneoftheStatementsdelivered ownstatementonClimatechangeandHealth.
WONCAhasalsoendorsedandhadinputtotheBreaktheFossil HealthCommunicationsGlobalClimateandHealthAlliancecampaign
Thebestplacetoreadaboutgrowthactivitiesisinthefollowing report. OurStrategicPlan2023-2027continuestoguideour reportedtotheWONCACouncilheldinLisbonthisyear.
Akeyobjectiveofourstrategicplanistomaintainandstrengthen Organization(WHO)relationshipandourPAHOrelationship. relationsasanon-governmentalorganizationandweare collaborativeprojects.
WONCAhasactivelyreinforceditscollaborationwiththeWHO newcollaborativeplanforinteraction2025-2027aswellas, UnderstandingwithPanAmericanHealthOrganization’s(PAHO) acceptedintheirFrameworkfortheEngagementwithNon-State
WealsoregularlydeliverourownstatementsattheWHOmeeting projectssuchasthePHCServicesPackageunderUHCproject.
Our liaison person to WHO in 2025, was Maria Pilar Astier Peña (now WONCA President-elect). She was at WHO Executive Board meeting in February 2025 and World Health Assembly in May 2025.
UnderourCEO’sleadershipWONCAhasstrengthenedour now have accreditation programs for postgraduate training, development,clinicsaccreditation,anddigitalsystems.We throughournewDevelopmentandEnhancementProgram(DEP), thatensureglobalrecognitionandcontinuousimprovement.
TheMDDMindsproject
CompletedovertwoyearsinMarch2025andledbyWONCA’s HealthhasempoweredprimarycareprofessionalsacrossAfrica, tobettermanagemajordepressivedisorders(MDD).Keystatistics enrolled in the online course, 581 completed it, and more colleaguesweretrainedthroughlocalreplication.Sevenpilot Nigeriaintroducedscreeningfordepressionamongpatients 1,000patientsscreened.Theprojectlivesonthroughmodules online.Readthereportincludedfordetails.
ItwasthusfittingthatthethemeforWorldFamilyDoctorDay mentalhealthone-“BuildingMentalResilienceinaChanging WorldFamilyDoctorDayensured-pleaseseetheseparatereport
WONCAandCRCPresscontinuetoexpandtheFamilyMedicine newtitlestobelaunchedduringtheLisbonconference. DigitalHealthforPrimaryCareeditedbyAnaLuisaNevesand ChallengesinPrimaryMentalHealthCare:ModelsforInterdisciplinary editedbyChristosLionisandChristopherDowrick. CoreValuesinFamilyMedicine:InspiringGlobalChange JohannA.SigurdssonandFelicityGoodyear-Smith.The ValesProject”launchedinMarch2023,andfindingsfrom inthebook.Theprojectinvitesfamilydoctorsfromaround theirprofessionalvalues,namelythevaluesthatmeanmost professional–bothpersonally,withintheirspecificcontext, sharedprofession.
CommunityinKorea WONCAEastMediterraneanregionConferenceinTangier, WONCAWorldconferenceinLisboninSeptember2025.
OurPresident-elect(nowpresident)VivianaMartinez-Bianchi following conferences: WONCA Iberoamericana - CIMF Iberoamericana”inMontevideo,Uruguay,inMay2025withthe deMontevideo;andWONCANorthAmericaMeetingonlinein
The many activities of our Working Parties and Special documentedinthisAnnualreportandas“news”ontheWONCA manyactivities,itisaweinspiring.Forexample,youmightthink WONCAwebinarswouldhavetailedoff,buttheyappearto prolific,asactivitiesofourWONCAWorkingParties(WPs),Special andYoungDoctors’Movement(YDM).
PleasedoreadthereportsofourWONCA‘Groups’andconsider interesttoyoubyclickingthislinktoourwebsite. IalsoencourageyoutoreadtheYDMreportbutjustto innovationmytwofavouriteYDMprojectsare:CyberXFMwebinars, INTERPOL,theWPonEthicsandProfessionalismandthe addressingcybersecurityandethicalissuesintelemedicine; Projectwhichwasinitiatedinresponsetorecognisingthe withinWONCA.
ThefutureofFamilyMedicineisinsafehands!
My impressions over 2024 and 2025 have also been documented in my President columns in WONCA News.
It has been a privilege, and one that I have very much enjoyed, to work for the family doctors of the world, promoting our discipline as an essential component of Primary Health Care for the past two years. We must all work to ensure strong Family Medicine in our countries and WONCA supports all of us to do that.
It was a pleasure to hand over the role of WONCA President to Viviana Martinez-Bianchi who I am sure will be a great president – we are similar but different as shown in this photo taken in 2024 in Sri Lanka.
Finally, it is appropriate to reflect on the words of our first WONCA President, another Australian, Dr Monty Kent-Hughes, who, when speaking to the first WONCA meeting in 1972 said:
“the future of our professional discipline will depend on our ability to work together in the service of humanity.”
A strong message to lead our work through WONCA into the future
Associate Professor Karen Flegg WONCA President, October 2023 - September 2025 karen.flegg@wonca.com
Dr Harris Lygidakis
If 2025 proved anything, it is that WONCA’s strength lies in the people who carry our mission forward: the Regions, the Working Parties and Special Interest Groups, the Young Doctors, the leaders and the members.
The WONCA World Conference in Lisbon was a landmark for our Organization. Bringing together more than 4,200 participants from around the world, it showed the reach, relevance, and energy of family medicine at a time when primary care is under pressure. The meeting was a statement of confidence in our discipline and in the communities we serve. It reflected the efforts of local hosts, Scientific and Organizing Committees, and group leaders. Our congratulations go to the Portuguese Association of General Practice and Family Medicine and WONCA Europe for co-hosting, and to every colleague who contributed to making this conference a success.
But Lisbon was far from the only gathering that brought our community together. The Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Busan, the South Asia Regional Conference in Bengaluru, the East Mediterranean Region Conference in Morocco, the second North America Region Convening Meeting in Anaheim, and the Iberoamericana Summit in Uruguay each demonstrated the vitality of our regional networks and the strength of our global community. These conferences are where the work of family medicine is shared, debated, and renewed, and the organisers who make them happen deserve our recognition.
At the same time, 2025 was a year of substantial program delivery. The Social Prescribing and Civic Engagement (SPACE) project launched in 2025, producing a stateof-the-art report and working on a practical social prescribing model and training resources. Through WONCA’s Project Labs, we have also begun to create a structured pathway to turn ideas from our Working Parties and Special Interest Groups into fundable, outcome-driven initiatives. I would like to express gratitude to the American Board of Family Medicine for its financial support of this initiative.
Our largest project to date, MDD Minds for Primary Care, concluded with an event last March bringing together the Master Faculty in Brussels. The project produced seven training modules and engaged 2,892 participants across nine countries. Scholars trained through the program cascaded learning locally through 143 sessions reaching 1,697 providers, strengthening confidence and capacity in depression care in primary care settings.
The project left a durable legacy through its online hub and helped shape World Family Doctor Day 2025 around the theme “Building Mental Resilience in a Changing World.” World Family Doctor Day 2025 deserves a special mention. The campaign, led by our Mental Health Working Party, developed a powerful series of webinars and activities together with other Working Parties and Special Interest Groups, the Young Doctors’ Movements, and IFMSA.
Across every region, family doctors and their communities marked the day with local events, social media engagement, and conversations about a subject that touches us all: the well-being of those who care for others. The campaign reinforced a message we believe deeply: when doctors thrive, the communities they serve thrive too.
WONCA’s voice also grew stronger internationally. In 2025, the Memorandum of Understanding with PAHO was finalized, strengthening WONCA’s standing in the Americas and opening new avenues for regional engagement. Work with WHO remained strong, including support for engagement at the Executive Board and the World Health Assembly, and ensuring that family medicine remained visible in global policy conversations on primary care, workforce, non-communicable diseases, patient safety, climate change, and health systems.
In 2025, we also advanced the transition planning for ICPC, culminating in the decision to shift ICPC-3 to open access, positioning it as a public good, removing barriers to adoption, and enabling broader training and research uses. The technically and legally complex process of the new licensing framework will be concluded in 2026. The International Classification Committee, under the leadership of Gustavo Gusso, deserves recognition for sustaining this complex, technically demanding work.
In accreditation and consultancy, we completed assessments of practices in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, which were awarded WONCA accreditation, and advanced the Ping An CPD program into its second year under the Development and Enhancement Program. Awards and scholarships also saw record demand, with 192 applications for the Montegut Scholarship and 75 for the inaugural Donald Li Scholarship. WONCA also concluded the strategic selection of a Core Professional Conference Organizer for future World Conferences, an important step toward continuity, quality, and long-term sustainability.
I want to close by acknowledging the people who make WONCA what it is. President Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, Immediate Past President Karen Flegg, and the Executive provided strategic leadership and unwavering support throughout the year. The Secretariat team in Brussels — Diarmuid, Andrea, Joelle, Fadia, Juan Diego, and Ólafur — sustained the daily operations of a global organisation with professionalism and care that far exceeds our small size. Our Working Parties and Special Interest Groups are the intellectual engine of WONCA; their commitment in 2025 was exceptional, and the Chairs who lead them deserve our deepest thanks. And to our Young Doctor leaders across every region: your energy, your ambition, and your willingness to challenge us are what keep this organisation honest and forward-looking. WONCA belongs to all of you. The future we are building together is strong and full of possibility.
P.S.: If you are not yet receiving the WONCA Newsletter, I encourage you to subscribe. It is the best way to stay connected with what is happening across our organisation. You can also follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, where we are increasingly sharing the stories, research, and voices of family doctors worldwide.
On 19 May 2025, family doctors around the world came together once again to celebrate World Family Doctor Day, this year under the theme “Building Mental Resilience in a Changing World.” The campaign brought forward the unique role family doctors play in responding to mental health challenges—supporting both patients and communities through continuity of care, early intervention, and compassion.
We asked our Member Organizations to submit their activities to WONCA, in order to get a sense of the diverse and meaningful ways the day was celebrated, and to inspire each other going forward. In Jordan, physicians gathered for a symposium on mental health in primary care. In Bangladesh, a rally and public meeting drew attention to the importance of family doctors. In Botswana, family doctors and community members climbed Kgale Hill together in a powerful symbol of resilience. In Hong Kong, a high-level symposium featured speakers from the WHO and academic leaders. From press conferences in Slovenia and a remarkable series of events across the Caribbean, family doctors used the day to educate, advocate, and connect with their communities.
We thank all Member Organizations who submitted their reports. Your creativity and commitment continue to energize and inspire our global family. We also received valuable feedback and thoughtful suggestions for future themes, which will help shape our plans for 2026. We look forward to announcing next year’s theme well in advance of next year's celebration.
WONCA also marked the day with a wide-ranging campaign that included new multimedia content and a global conversation on mental health. Professors Christos Lionis and Christopher Dowrick published a feature article on the critical role of primary care in promoting mental wellness. We launched a collaborative video message featuring voices from every region, and released a joyful international performance of “Three Little Birds” as part of our Music and Mental Health Project. WONCA President A/Prof Karen Flegg also offered a personal video message.
As part of the WONCA World Family Doctor Day Webinar Series, we hosted five sessions that explored key issues in mental health and primary care. These included webinars on self-care for family doctors, collaborative care with patients, core concepts of mental resilience, cultural approaches to mental health, and depression management in primary health care
In addition, WONCA’s MDD Minds initiative continues to offer free, self-paced training on the diagnosis and management of major depressive disorder in primary care. The course is available in four languages - English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese - and includes modules on clinical strategies, shared decision-making, and self-care for clinicians. We now invite you to take a tour around the world of family medicine, and to be inspired by the activities and celebrations of our global community.
Additional information on the events that took place for World Family Doctor Day and related photographs can be found here
The MDD MINDS initiative has successfully enhanced the quality of care for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) across nine countries in three global regions.
This multi phase project, implemented by the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) and Mosaica Solutions, supported by an independent grant from Pfizer Global Medical Relations, has strengthened the capability of family doctors and primary care teams to diagnose, treat, and manage depression within their communities.
The MDD MINDS initiative exceeded its targets, engaging more than 2,500 clinicians and practice teams through a comprehensive educational approach:
Phase 2: MDD MINDS 101 –2,892 learners enrolled, with 581 completers (20%completion rate), surpassing typical online course completion rates of 12.6%. The curriculum significantly increased clinician confidence in managing depression, with average confidence scores rising from 3.0 to 4.11 on a 5-point scale (p-value 1.7631E 118).
Phase 3: Train-the-Trainer – 226 Scholars, in nine countries, enrolled in our advanced program with at least 126 (> 50% completion rate) completing the program. TheseScholars demonstrated remarkable commitment by delivering 142 educational sessions to 1,697 additional healthcare professionals in their communities.
Phase 4: Performance in Practice – Nine practices across Brazil, Japan, Kenya andNigeria implemented systematic depression screening for patients with diabetes. Through this quality improvement initiative, 1,592 diabetic patients were evaluated, with 26.6% identified as having depression.
“My experience in the MDD MINDS-WONCA Project was extremely enriching. The course provided a collaborative environment where I was able to learn from the leadership of a psychiatry specialist and family health colleagues. The discussions about mental health practices and the focus on the person-centered approach with MDD broadened my view of comprehensive care.
Furthermore, the practical activities and exchange of experiences contributed to my professional development as a trainer for other colleagues, allowing me to apply new knowledge directly into my daily practice. I believe that this experience made me a more prepared professional and sensitive to the needs of my patients and my coworkers.” – MDD MINDS learner
The initiative met all objectives set out in our proposal, addressing critical gaps in depression care. Participating clinicians reported substantial improvements in their ability to:
Diagnose MDD in culturally diverse contexts
Educate patients on health promotion and lifestyle changes
Apply shared decision-making principles
Select appropriate pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments
Manage co-morbidities
Develop team approaches to care
Communicate effectively with specialists
Implement activities to drive practice change
Follow up with patients to reevaluate care
Importantly, the project also highlighted the critical need for healthcare provider self-care. This valuable outcome has strengthened resilience among participating clinicians, enabling them to better serve their patients while maintaining their own wellbeing.
The initiative yielded valuable insights for future programming:
Language and cultural adaptation significantly enhance engagement and outcomes. Multiple in-country champions are essential for successful implementation.
Alignment with existing working groups amplifies impact and reach.
Faculty leadership by content experts ensures clinical relevance.
Local organizational partnerships facilitate recruitment and sustainability. Self-care content is as valuable to clinicians as clinical education.
The MDD MINDS model provides a framework for sustainable impact in mental health care and beyond:
1. Expanded Content in Mental Health: This project, Performance in Practice (PiP) inparticular, focused on screening. New curricula could be developed to address treatment and management of MDD.
2. Expanded Access: The MDD MINDS 101 curriculum can be translated into additionallanguages, for example, Chinese, Hindi, Urdu and offered globally.
3. Research Initiatives: The impact on patient outcomes offers rich opportunities forfurther study.
4. Publication: Findings will be presented at the WONCA conference in Lisbon(September 2025), other regional conferences and prepared for publication.
5. Broader Application: The three-phase model can be adapted for other clinical priorities and public health challenges.
6. Working Party Synergy: Collaboration with WONCA working parties and otherprofessional bodies within the primary care and medical specialties can promote synergy and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The MDD MINDS initiative demonstrates WONCA’s capacity to deliver high-quality educational programming at scale, work in partnership with other international organizations, while meeting defined objectives and producing meaningful outcomes. The project has equipped family doctors with essential knowledge and skills to address depression, a leading cause of global disability.
Most importantly, the patients of participating doctors have benefited from improved recognition, understanding, and treatment of their condition, with positive impacts on their mental health and well-being. As depression continues to affect hundreds of millions globally, the MDD MINDS initiative offers a replicable, sustainable approach to enhancing mentalhealthcare in diverse primary care settings.
“The opportunity to collaborate with healthcare professionals worldwide broadened my understanding of mental health care beyond my local setting.” – MDD MINDS learner
“The self-care and wellness module was vital. It not only improved my professional skills but also helped me maintain my own mental health.” – MDD 101 learner
“I was able to understand how to provide non-pharmacological interventions for mental health patients encountered in primary care. The sessions were practical and rich, so I was able to immediately apply them to my daily clinical practice. I would like to continue brushing up on my own skills and sharing them with the staff.” – TtT Scholar
This year, WONCA continued to work closely with the American Board of Family Medicine Foundation (ABFM-F) through the Project Labs initiative, which provided support for two major proposals currently under development: Promoting Rational Medicine Prescribing in Primary Care and Strengthening Clinical Ethics in Primary Care.
The PROSPER project brings together colleagues from across regions to address one of the most pressing challenges in primary care globally: ensuring rational, safe, and contextappropriate prescribing. Building on the WHO 6-Step Guide, the project aims to create a global model for education, curriculum integration, and capacity building. Over the past months, the working group – drawn from multiple WPs, SIGs, and regional networks – has met regularly to refine the project structure, define its methodology, and map its initial pilots. The Secretariat has supported the group with guidance on proposal development, coordination, stakeholder engagement and donor mapping.
The second project supported under the ABFM Project Labs focuses on clinical ethics – an area increasingly recognized as essential for safe, equitable, and person-centered care. The project aims to understand how family doctors currently navigate ethical dilemmas, identify gaps in training and support systems, and develop practical tools for clinical reflection and decisionmaking.
Working in collaboration with multiple WPs and SIGs, the group has begun shaping a multi-phase program that includes mapping existing ethics resources, developing training modules, and piloting a “hub-and-spoke” model for ethics reflection groups in primary care settings.
Both proposals have made strong progress this year. With active participation from diverse parts of the WONCA community and technical support from the Secretariat, the groups are now moving towards full proposal drafts that will be ready for donor engagement. The Project Labs initiative has not only strengthened these two proposals but has also helped build more structured processes and shared tools for proposal development across WONCA.
This year marked major progress for the SPACE project, a three-year EU-funded initiative bringing together partners across Europe to explore how nature-based activities can support cancer recovery. The consortium began 2025 by completing a comprehensive State of the Art Report, mapping existing practices, evidence, and gaps across Europe. This report has served as the foundation for all subsequent work. WONCA leads the development of the project’s core output – a Green Social Prescribing Model tailored for cancer rehabilitation – working closely with partners to ensure it is practical, evidence-informed, and adaptable across health systems.
Throughout 2025, the consortium worked intensively to finalize the model, which outlines the principles, pathways, and quality standards needed to integrate green social prescribing into primary care and community settings. In parallel, Volunteer Ireland has been leading the
development of the training package that will support practitioners and community organizations in implementing the model, while CEV has been shaping the quality benchmarks and the process for awarding the project’s final quality label. IDIAP has continued to oversee the evaluation framework, ensuring that pilot sites will generate meaningful and comparable outcomes.
With the model now developed and the training materials underway, the project is preparing for its next major phase: piloting the Green Social Prescribing Model in five countries, where people recovering from cancer will be supported to volunteer in community gardens. These pilots will test the model’s feasibility in different contexts and generate real-world insights to guide future refinement and scale-up.
The SPACE project reflects WONCA’s commitment to innovation, person-centered care, and cross-sector collaboration. Its progress this year places the consortium in a strong position for the implementation phase ahead.
At the WONCA World Conference in September 2025, we held our first Collaboration Hub – a new space created to bring colleagues from different Working Parties and Special Interest Groups together around shared ideas. For three hours in Lisbon, 15 project proposers, 15 table captains, and more than a hundred participants sat together, shared experiences, and co-created practical next steps for some of the most important themes in family medicine today.
Each table worked on one pre-submitted project idea. These ranged from mental health in primary care and research capacity building, to planetary health, ageing, emergency care, and gender equity. Through lively discussions, each group refined its project, identified priority activities, and sketched out the first actions needed to take their ideas forward. The result was a collection of 15 strengthened project concepts – all shaped collaboratively by colleagues from across regions, disciplines, and backgrounds.
To keep the momentum going beyond the conference, the Secretariat created an online workspace where each group can access their table notes, pitch recordings, and original concept notes. A follow-up session was also held with proposers and WP/SIG Chairs to provide guidance on forming working groups, structuring proposal development, and beginning donor scouting. Participants were given a standard proposal template and a donor-mapping tool to help them translate their ideas into fully developed projects.
What stood out most about the Collaboration Hub was not only the ideas themselves, but the spirit behind them: colleagues listening to each other, making space for new voices, and genuinely wanting to build something together. In the coming months, working groups will form under the leadership of their respective WPs/SIGs, with ongoing support from the Secretariat. Our aim is to help these projects grow into strong proposals that can create real impact in family medicine around the world.
The Hub was a first step – but an important one. It showed what is possible when we bring people together with openness, curiosity, and a shared purpose.
Dr Steve Mowle
It is my pleasure to present my third annual report as Treasurer of WONCA.
My sincere thanks to the members of the finance committee which met regularly throughout 2025 with excellent attendance and engagement. WONCA's main sources of income are its membership subscriptions ($693,000) and conference levies ($261,000).
The opening balance was $908,000 and the closing balance was $1,009,000, with a surplus of approximately $100,000 — of which roughly 70% relates to the Association's general reserves and 30% to designated funds — driven largely by favourable exchange rate movements.
Congratulations to WONCA Europe and the APMGF for organising a highly successful conference in Lisbon, which brought a very healthy $245,000 into WONCA.
We continue to build on the success of MDD Minds, the first major project undertaken within WONCA World, with a Multi-regional NCD fellowship planned for 2026. Diversifying income streams to increase the impact of our objectives and extend our reach around the world is a shared ambition of mine with the CEO.
A core PCO was appointed in 2025 and we look forward to working with Kenes International, to plan the 2029 conference in Kyoto, where we hope that the standard of the conference offer as well as the potential financial outcome will improve.
We remain ambitious for the future of WONCA and to gradually increase the size of our excellent secretariat.
I look forward to continuing to work with the finance committee whose vital work in ensuring that our modest income is used wisely.
Best wishes Steve
Dr Steve Mowle MBE FRCGP Member at Large WONCA Treasurer
Prof María Pilar Astier Peña
WONCA as Non State Actor to WHO:
Since 1979, WONCA has maintained continuous collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) as a Non-State Actor (NSA) in official relations. The first Memorandum of Understanding covered 1998–2001, and cooperation is now structured through three-year collaboration plans aligned with WHO’s General Programme of Work and governed by the Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA). WONCA reports annually, with results published in the WHO register. WHO appoints a focal person to facilitate engagement; currently this role is held by Dr John Fogarty, Lead of Primary Care Services, Integrated Health Services Department at WHO headquarters in Geneva.
Since 1998, WONCA has appointed several WHO Liaison Persons: Dr Michael Boland (1998–2001), Dr Ilse Hellemann (2001–2005), Dr Michael Kidd (2005–2010), Dr Iona Heath (2010–2013), Dr Luisa Pettigrew (2013–2016), Dr Viviana Martinez-Bianchi (2016–2021), and Prof Val Wass (2021–2023). This report covers the period when Dr Anna Stavdal lead liaison person 2023-2024 and Dr María Pilar Astier-Peña lead from October 2024 – current.
The WHO Liaison Person, supported by a small WONCA WHO Working Group (President, President-elect, WHO Liaison Person, and CEO), ensures alignment with WONCA’s Strategic Plan and follows up on the strategic goals set in the previous term, thereby guaranteeing continuity and consistency in WONCA’s advocacy across each three-year WHO collaboration plan. The Liaison also coordinates the contributions of Working Parties (WPs) and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and represents WONCA at the World Health Assembly (WHA) and WHO Executive Board (EB) meetings.
Collaboration Plan between WHO and WONCA for the period 2025-2027
The 2025–2027 WONCA–WHO Collaboration Plan, aligned with Universal Health Coverage goals, focuses on five priority areas. It supports the development and implementation of the Primary Care Service Package within WHO’s Service Delivery Platform, including review of rehabilitation interventions. It contributes to the Global Patient Safety Action Plan with emphasis on primary care, led by WONCA’s Working Party on Quality & Safety. In workforce development, it advances decision-support training through the IMPACT initiative and collaboration on acute care algorithms. It also seeks to strengthen the capacity and quality of postgraduate family and community medicine education, with input from the Working Party on Education and the WONCA accreditation program. The plan is ongoing, relies on in-kind technical contributions, and aims to improve access, quality, and outcomes in health systems through a primary care perspective.
The WHO main gathering events are the World Health Assembly (WHA) celebrated every year mid May and the WHO EB Meeting. During this term WONCA members attendeed 2 WHA and 1 WHO EB Meeting.
Dr Astier attended the 156th session of the WHO Executive Board in februrary 2025. She met 4 different WHO departments: mental health, quality and patient safety, non-communicable diseases and rehabilitation, health and ageing, and WONCA Focal Point, Dr Fogarty to follow up the ongoing projects. A total of 4 individuals statements were delivered during the WHO EB meeting.
During 78 th World Health Assembly, May 2025, WONCA was represented by Dr Martínez Bianchi, Dr Lygidakis, and Dr Astier. With Prof José M. (Chema) Valderas, Dr. Anna Luisa Neves, and Dr. Shrikant Atreya.
Dr Martínez-Bianchi participated as WONCA President-elect in discussion pannel and speaker in two side events.
Dr Ana Luisa Neves, participated as chair of the WP on E Health in an event titled “Empowering Primary Health Care with Digital Intelligence for UHC”
Dr Shrikant Atreya, represented WONCA at the "Accelerating Progress on Universal Access to Palliative Care" as chair of the Palitive in Family Medicine Working Party.
4 Individual Statements were delivered during the meeting. Wonca is grateful with IFMSA whose representers read them in the Assembly on behalf of WONCA members.
They also visited several WHO Headquaters departaments and set up collaborations with some NSA for future projects.
Conclusions:
WONCA has strengthened its role as a long-standing WHO partner, with collaboration now structured under FENSA and guided by joint three-year collaboration plans.
The 2025–2027 plan builds on the achievements of the 2022-2024 plan , placing family medicine at the core of WHO’s Universal Health Coverage agenda. Through work on PHC service packages, quality and patient safety, workforce development, and postgraduate education, WONCA is increasingly recognized as an essential contributor to global health systems.
WONCA’s visibility in WHO governance has grown significantly, with active participation in the WHA and WHO EB meeting, joint statements, and side events. The WHO–WONCA relationship is now stronger, more strategic, and more visible, ensuring family medicine is firmly established as a cornerstone of universal health coverage and resilient health systems worldwide.
President-Elect, Prof. Bob Mash
Immediate Past-President, Dr. Dan Abubakar
General Secretary, Dr. Oluwaseun Olusola
Afriwon Representative, Dr. Mercy Wanjala
Members at Large, Dr. Nana Kwame Ayisi-Boateng & Prof. Abraham Gyuse Honorary Treasurer, Dr. Innocent Besigye
Participated in several WHO engagement meetings, in June (Quality Improvement in Emergency, Critical, and Operative care), in June (stakeholder meeting on clinical trial research) and in August the 74th WHO AFRO Regional Committee session.
Celebrations of World Family Doctor Day on May 19th, 2024 in each Member Organization with the theme 'Healthy planet, healthy people'. -Organizing the WONCA Africa Regional Conference that took place in June 2024 in Nairobi-Kenya.
AFRO PHC has held monthly online CPD workshops for healthcare providers in primary care settings of the WONCA Africa Region.
An annual two-day physical Primafamed meeting with key stakeholders was held in June 2024 in Nairobi Kenya to strengthen Family Medicine education and research in the region.
Quarterly online meetings were held with the leaders of the various WONCA member organizations and WONCA academic institutions in the region.
Executive meetings were held every second Tuesday of the month in 2024.
Monthly online Primafamed workshops are conducted to improve Family Medicine education and research capacity in the region.
Family Medicine and Primary Care project of setting up WHO collaborating centers on education and research at Stellenbosch University, Family Medicine at Makerere, and CERRUD, Benin. -Published an editorial in the Primary Health Care & Family Medicine journal (the official journal for WONCA Africa) titled 'The road to defining African family medicine core values' following an initiative by WONCA World.
Formation of a new college (College of Family Physicians of East Central and Southern Africa (ECSA CFP), an initiative supported by primafamed to increase training in Family Medicine in the region.
Collaborations with WPs/SIGs
Working Party on Women & Family Medicine at the June WONCA Africa Regional Conference, in preconference
Working Party on Mental Health at the June WONCA Africa Regional Conference, in conference workshops.
In June at the 8th WONCA Africa Regional Conference, the Young Doctor Movement, AFRIWON had preconference activities (a one-day workshop and visits to primary care facilities serving the communities in Nairobi-Kenya).
Research mentorship through the Afriwon Research Collaboration (ARC) was conducted and an evaluation was conducted, details are in a publication in the Primary Health Care & Family Medicine journal titled 'Evaluating the implementation of online research training and mentorship among early-career family physicians in sub-Saharan Africa'.
Future Plans for 2026
A PHC conference.
Monthly Executive meetings.
A primafamed stakeholders meeting in Zambia.
The 75th WHO AFRO Regional Committee session
Writing a short report and grant on advocacy for Family Medicine in the African region. Holding annual Family Medicine meetings and activities before and on World Family Doctor Day (19 May). th
Attend a physical meeting in Ethiopia with members of the Family Physicians' Association. Formation and institutionalization of a Regional Organizational Equity Committee for Africa. Monthly online workshops with primafamed and online CPD sessions conducted by AFRO PHC.
Executive Board
President: Dr. Brian CHANG
Honorary Secretary: Dr. Aileen Espina
Honorary Treasurer: Dr. Tesshu KUSABA
Members at Large:
Dr. PingFoo WONG
Dr. Shinn Jang HWANG
Dr. Zhigang PAN
Dr. Leilanie Nicodemus
Chair, The Rajakumar Movement (TRM): Dr. Michael Angelo Aeteza
Activities 2025
In 2025, the focus shifted from event-based participation to sustained influence on policy leadership, academic contribution, and regional advocacy.
Regional and World Conferences
April 2025 (Busan, Korea): Presided over the APR Council Meeting. Endorsed the statement on “Strengthening Primary Care and Supporting the Medical Community in Korea”. September 2025 (Lisbon, Portugal): Formally inaugurated as APR Regional President for the second term (2025–2027) at the WONCA World Conference.
Key Initiatives
Core Values Statement: Developed through a review of 19 MOs and a workshop with 37 physicians. Scheduled for endorsement in Iloilo, March 2026.
APR Book Project: Led the flagship initiative titled:
Transforming Primary Care: The WONCA Asia Pacific Region’s Journey in Family Medicine. Features contributions from over 10 Member Organizations. Foreword by the WONCA World President.
Publication planned for 2026.
Regional Advocacy Highlights
May 2025 (Shanghai): Keynote on AI and digital health in primary care at the Shanghai Medical Association.
June 2025 (Sapporo, Japan): Plenary lecture on climate change at the JPCA Annual Conference, emphasizing the Declar
October 2025 (Mongolia): Keynote on APR achievements and policies at the 30th Anniversary of MAFMS.
World Family Doctor Day: Promoted activities on May 19, reinforcing the message “Every Family a Family Doctor”.
Collaboration in 2025 prioritized international organizations and the next generation of doctors.
Representation: Dr. Aileen Espina and Dr. Leilanie Nicodemus attended the WPRO Regional meeting in October 2025.
Advocacy: Presented statements on planetary health and mental health for health workers. Future Engagement: Invited WPRO Regional Director, Dr. Saia Ma'u Piukala, to keynote the 2026 APR Conference.
Geneva Meeting (May 2025): Met with IFMSA President Ms. Hana during the World Health Assembly.
Initiative: Proposed providing 3–5 free registrations for medical students to attend Rajakumar Movement activities in Iloilo 2026.
Porto Assembly (October 2025): Attended the WMA General Assembly.
Partnership: Discussed collaboration with the WMA Junior Doctors Network (JDN) on climate change and humanitarian issues.
Future Plans for 2026
Priorities for the 2025–2027 term focus on policy leadership, equity, and the next generation.
Strategic Priorities
1 Academic & Policy Leadership:
Complete and disseminate the APR Book Project.
Focus policy on NCDs and mental health for health workers.
2.Global Partnerships:
Deepen ties with WHO and WPRO to translate policy into action (healthcare resilience, climate change, NCDs).
Engage with WMA to amplify the voice of family medicine.
3.Equity & Organizational Development:
Implement the Organizational Equity Committee to address geographic and gender challenges.
Expand representation to Pacific Islands, specifically Samoa, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, and Palau.
4.Supporting Young Doctors:
Launch a mentorship program (joined by CTAFM, PAFP, and HKCFP).
Continue free conference registrations for students via IFMSA.
Emerging Topics for 2026
APR will integrate the following themes into forums and conferences:
Artificial Intelligence & Digital Health
Planetary Health & Climate Change
Palliative & End-of-Life Care
Mental Health Support
"My goal is to ensure that the Asia Pacific Region remains a strong, inclusive, and forward-looking contributor to WONCA." — Dr. Brian CHANG
Executive Board
Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Mahrezi - WONCA EMR President
Prof. Faisal Alnaser – WONCA EMR President Elect
Prof. Taghreed Farahat - Immediate Past Chair
Prof. Nagwa Nashat - WONCA EMR Honorary Secretary
Dr. Mona Osman - WONCA EMR Treasurer
Dr. Suha Hamshari - Member at Large
Dr. Muntadher Sad - Member at Large
Dr. Ashraf Amir - Member at Large
Dr. Adel Yasky - Young Doctor Movement Lead
Activities 2025
· The ninth WONCA EMR Congress, Tangier, Morocco (2025):
Held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
Opening ceremony led by Dr. Fatima Zohra Mchich Alami with addresses by Dr. Karen Flegg (WONCA President) and Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Mahrezi (WONCA EMR President).
Theme: “Digital Horizons in Medical Education and Healthcare” – focusing on innovation, system strengthening, and regional collaboration.
Progress on Regional Professional Diploma:
New cohort commenced training in March 2025.
·Accreditation of new family medicine training centers initiated in countries previously without such programs.
A landmark step toward standardized, sustainable workforce development.
Strengthening Regional Governance:
Establishment of core committees: Nominations, Finance, Bylaws, and Scientific.
Improved decentralization and transparency in decision-making.
Media and Communication Engagement:
Three newsletters published by end of 2025.
Hundreds of social media posts across platforms, enhancing visibility and knowledge sharing.
Strengthened professional networking and member engagement.
Membership Expansion:
Formal admission of the Libyan Society of Family Medicine.
Broadened representation and inclusivity within the region.
Focused on regional collaborations, strategic initiatives, and advancing family medicine
Support for National Conferences:
Active support provided to conferences in Lebanon, UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco.
Continued scientific collaborations with regional academies strengthened academic exchange and knowledge sharing.
Celebration of World Family Doctor Day (WFDD): Executive board emphasized mental health as a regional priority.
Dissemination of the official WONCA toolkit to member organizations and encouraged widespread community-based participation and interventions.
Strategic Partnership with WHO EMRO:
WONCA EMR has maintained strong collaboration with the WHO, particularly EMRO. This partnership is reflected in the consistent inclusion of WHO-led sessions at regional congresses, ensuring alignment with global health priorities.
WHO Engagement at WONCA EMR Congresses: The ninth WONCA EMR Congress, Morocco (2025): WHO EMRO session led by Dr. Saeed Soliman
Focus: History of WHO EMRO–WONCA EMR collaboration and ongoing joint initiatives.
Regional Professional Diploma:
A new cohort commenced in March 2025, supported by WHO EMRO’s emphasis on standardized training across the region.
Participation in WHO Regional Committee: WONCA EMR President attended the 71st Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean in Doha, Qatar.
Theme: “Health Beyond Borders: Solidarity for Access and Equity in the EMR.”
Provided a platform for WONCA EMR to engage with regional health leaders, reinforcing family medicine’s role in health system strengthening.
Collaboration with Young Doctor Movements
The YDM is fully embedded within regional governance.
Dr. Adel Yasky, YDM representative, serves as a standing member of the Executive Board. Ensures the voices of early-career family doctors are consistently represented in decisionmaking.
Collaboration with WHO
Strategic Partnership with WHO EMRO:
WONCA EMR has maintained strong collaboration with the WHO, particularly EMRO. This partnership is reflected in the consistent inclusion of WHO-led sessions at regional congresses, ensuring alignment with global health priorities.
WHO Engagement at WONCA EMR Congresses:
The ninth WONCA EMR Congress, Morocco (2025):
WHO EMRO session led by Dr. Saeed Soliman
Focus: History of WHO EMRO–WONCA EMR collaboration and ongoing joint initiatives.
Regional Professional Diploma:
A new cohort commenced in March 2025, supported by WHO EMRO’s emphasis on standardized training across the region.
Participation in WHO Regional Committee: WONCA EMR President attended the 71st Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean in Doha, Qatar.
Theme: “Health Beyond Borders: Solidarity for Access and Equity in the EMR.”
Provided a platform for WONCA EMR to engage with regional health leaders, reinforcing family medicine’s role in health system strengthening.
Shlomo Vinker, President of WONCA Europe
Thomas Frese, WONCA Europe President-Elect
Zalika Klemenc Ketis, Hon. Treasurer of WONCA Europe
Radost Assenova, EGPRN, member at large
Jose-Miguel Bueno-Ortiz, EQUIP, member at large
Aaron Poppleton, EYFDM, member at large
Ferdinando Petrazzuoli, EURIPA, member at large
Serdar Oztora, EUROPREV, member at large
Eva Hummers, Hon. Secretary of WONCA Europe
Adam Windak, EURACT, member at large
Visibility - We continued our membership in the European Medicines Agency (EMA) committees for primary care. We improved bilateral ties with UEMO and EFEC. We also began our involvement in the EU Parliament, promoting family medicine through our newly established Working Party on Policy Advocacy.
Scientific and professional engagement – We are currently involved in 9 EU projects and submit about five new consortia grant applications each year. We also maintain bilateral collaborations with other scientific organizations across Europe, including those in Psychiatry, Nephrology, Metabolism, and Obesity, as well as the Midwives organization and the Pain Association, among others.
Financial strength and stability - after the COVID pandemic, we created an effective containment plan to cut costs and diversify income sources. This includes partnering with leading CME companies for educational grants, pursuing European grants and projects, and strengthening existing financial agreements.
Operational - We significantly increased our followers on social media and our mailing list to over 20,000 (more than doubling in two years). We successfully published a monthly newsletter and maintained a website with updated, comprehensive content. We hosted scientific and professional webinars.
After winning the bid to host the WONCA conference as the WE region, we underwent intensive years of preparations, resulting in more than 4,000 submitted abstracts and approximately 4,000 expected participants in Lisbon.
European Journal of General Practice (EJGP) - Our journal transitioned smoothly to a new editor-in-chief, and it is a Q1 journal in general medicine. The acceptance rate is 18%, meaning less than one in five submissions is accepted. The journal is financially supported by WE and is managed by T&F.
WONCA Europe has six networks (NWs), nine special interest groups (SIGs), and the WP on policy advocacy. All had extensive and productive activities in the last two year: running Conferences, meetings, courses, and webinars. These activities include thousands of family physicians from both Europe and outside of Europe.
WONCA Europe held numerous webinars:
Enhancing Obesity Care: EASO & WONCA Europe Webinar for Family Doctors and Primary Care Physicians
Practical application of Lifestyle Medicine and Social Prescribing in daily clinical practice
Project: Social Prescribing for Health: Exploring the role of social prescribing in improving patient outcomes.
Collaboration with WHO
WONCA Europe strengthened its connections with the WHO Europe region through several projects, such as joining the WHO/EU Evidence into Action Alcohol (EVID-ACTION) initiative and the Stakeholder Engagement for Strategy Developing on Ageing—Civil Societies and NonState Actors.
Action Alcohol (EVID-ACTION) initiative
Link to the manual
The project took several years to complete, and Prof. Ungan represented WE in the long journey from the concept to the final product.
The final version emphasizes the importance of brief interventions, which are effective measures endorsed by WHO to assist individuals in quitting tobacco, reducing alcohol intake, and promoting physical activity, healthy eating, and weight management.
Main ideas:
Prophylactic Programs
Risk Factors.
Primary Care. Effectiveness. Measurement.
President 2023-2025: Dr. Dora Patricia Bernal Ocampo (Colombia)
President-Elect 2025-2027: Dr. Dora Patricia Bernal Ocampo (Colombia)
Immediate Past President: Dr. Jaqueline Ponzo (Uruguay)
Vice President of Mesoamerica: Dr. Gad Gamed Zavala (Mexico)
Vice President of the Andean Subregion: Dr. Edwin Rodriguez (Bolivia)
Vice President of the Southern Cone: Dr. Andrea Didier (Chile)
Vice President of Iberia: Dr. André Reis (Portugal)
Waynakay: Dr. Alejandra Leon (Colombia)
Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Dr. Thomas Meoño (Costa Rica)
Honorary Treasurer: Dr. Marina Almenas (Puerto Rico)
Communications Officer: Orlando José Mora Segura (Costa Rica)
Monitoring of the Strategic Plan with adjustments based on the observations of the CIMF presidents.
Monthly meetings throughout the year.
Introductory course for teachers of the master's degree in Medical Sciences, specializing in Family and Community Medicine at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. An agreement between the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security (IGSS), the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS), the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, and the IberoAmerican Confederation of Family Medicine (CIMF) in February and March 2024.
Support for the University of Guatemala to continue the master’s degree program in Family and Community Medicine.
Participation of Guatemalan officials in the Ibero-American Congress of Family Medicine in Panama.
Dialogues in Ibero-America as a participatory strategy with participants from different societies by subregion.
Mesoamerica: 'Family Medicine Education: Past, Present, and Future' - Andean Region: 'Identity and Role of the Family Physician in Latin America' Southern Cone: 'Health and Environment' - Waynakay: 'Sexual Diversity in Primary Care in Latin America'
Reactivation of existing Working Groups (WPs), strengthening them with coordinators to energize processes. Significant activity and contributions to the region.
Motivation to generate networks for the CIMF WPs with those of WONCA.
Progress in strengthening the dynamics and networks of CIMF WGs and with WONCA. - Joint activities of CIMF WPs with WONCA: Education, Mental Health, Research, and Quaternary Prevention.
Progress in strengthening and adding new WPs (Ethics and Professionalism) and Special Interest Groups (Home Care).
Participation in a webinar with the president-elect Dr. Viviana Martinez on Advocacy.
Celebration of World Family Doctor’s Day with a series of webinars related to the different WGs. Family Medicine Week was declared.
Ibero- American Congress of Family Medicine and Family and Community Medicine held in October 2024.
Symbolic signing of the MOU with PAHO by the assistant presidents at the congress. Special recognition at the congress to Dr. Inez Padula (Brazilian Society), selected as a candidate for the WONCA 5-Star Doctor competition, and to Dr. Zeliete Zambon (Brazilian Society) for her success in increasing the number of associates during her term.
Formation of three Groups of Presidents of member societies and associations to review CIMF Statutes (key issues: number of societies per country and the election of members for the Executive Committee), Regulations of WPs, and Event Regulations (analysis of the situation of national congresses and events related to the Ibero-American and World Cups).
Support for educational activities, discussions, and symposiums by CIMF member societies, WPs, and Waynakay.
Formation of the Communications Committee to modernize and update the website, providing more robust information and offering participation from CIMF member magazines.
Annual congresses of societies in most countries.
Issuance of two quarterly Information Bulletins for CIMF presidents, outlining decisions made in the executive committee and matters of interest.
Support to the Peruvian Society of Family Medicine for the positioning and development of the specialty.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Course by the Ecuadorian Society of Family Medicine, held from January to October 2024.
Launch of the Argentine Federation of Family and General Medicine in association with other Argentine societies in the 'Choosing Wisely Argentina' campaign. The first steps in deimplementing low-value practices: 'The first thing is to do no harm.'
Extensive participation in the World WONCA Council.
Request to the Organizing Committee of the Lisbon World Congress to allocate one day for Ibero-American Roundtables. - Organization of the IX Ibero-American Summit of Family Medicine, with the theme: 'Family and Community Medicine: More Necessary Than Ever.'
Collaborations with WPs/SIGs
Support for the reorganization, validation, and development of activities for the Working Parties (WPs) and formation of new ones.
Validation of data collection instruments and information systematization (Certification and IBIMEFA).
Advice to countries requesting support from specific WPs (e.g., Certification).
Participation of WPs in CIMF Family Doctor Week:
Support to countries in the Certification and Recertification processes and integration of Artificial Intelligence in the Certification and Recertification processes. -
Ongoing systematization of evaluation processes.
Projects for 2025 include monthly meetings and proposing an educational module on Spirituality and Health at the postgraduate Family Medicine level in our countries, which can be taught by group members.
Creation of a video in collaboration with WP on Mental Health and CIMF for Mental Health Day (October 10), which was disseminated on social media.
Collaboration with International Networks: establishment of an active relationshipwith INTREPID to advance research on mental health in PHC and discussion of joint events with the Mexican network of researchers.
Strategic Projects: A study on the state of Family Medicine in the region, documenting the development of Family and Community Medicine in Latin America through data collection and standardization of instruments.
with Young Doctor Movements
Advocacy for the participation of WAYNAKAY members in National Boards of Directors.
Presidents recognize the importance of having members on their boards: Brazil commits to joining the board of directors, and Bolivia also intends to participate, though there are challenges due to statutes.
Meetings with the Board of Directors of Waynakay Latin America and CIMF.
Identification of young leaders in countries where the movement was not active for reactivation: Uruguay, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico.
Participation in joint sessions with CIMF. - Visibility of the group with WONCA's elected president, Dr. Viviana Martínez, on issues of linguistic equity. Support with translation of webinars from youth groups in other regions.
Reactivation of the movement in Venezuela and the Southern Cone.
Sponsorship in progress, with the incorporation of members from several countries into the WG.
Development of the Mentoring Program in conjunction with the global YDM from WAYNAKAY Latin America with subregional leaders.
Participation in a webinar on Family Doctor Day.Podcast to learn about the realities of family medicine from young doctors in Latin America. FM360 Exchanges in Latin America certified by CIMF.
Participation in YDM's ASPIRE program, conducting research to identify burnout among family doctors worldwide.
Participation in the PAHO Diabetes Mellitus Expert Advisory Group: Work on formulating guidelines to create a comprehensive approach to diabetes in the Americas.
Collaboration with the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) on the Asthma Right Care and COPD Right Care projects in Latin America.
Agreement with the Latin American Society of Nephrology and Hypertension (SLANH) for continuing education for CIMF members.
Development of a Research Protocol to assess the situation of Family Medicine specialty in the Americas.
Launch of the PAHO-WONCA Survey to a representative sample of CIMF societies, which will serve as the basis for research on the situation of Family Medicine/Family and Community Medicine professionals in the Region.
Invitation to CIMF as an Observer at the 61st Directing Council of PAHO and the 76 Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Americas, held from September 30 to October 4 in Washington.
IX Ibero-American Summit of Family Medicine in Montevideo, and the IX Subregional Congress of the Southern Cone and XII Uruguayan Congress, scheduled for March 2025. Annual congresses of each country and other GT activities in 2025.
Monitoring of the Strategic Plan, incorporating improvements based on lessons learned and contributions from the previous Board of Directors meeting.
Strategic Plan:
Promotion of Family Medicine; Generation of Value for Societies; Achieve Financial Stability.
During this past year, we had a very successful regional convening meeting. My thanks to the American Academy of Family Physicians for hosting the meeting in conjunction with their annual FMX conference in Phoenix, Arizona. This was a half day event which was a first for the WONCA North America region. All the full member organizations of the region (AAFP, STFM, CCFP and CFPC) collaborated to plan and deliver the contents of the event. The conference included a keynote session from Dr. Carlos Gonzales whose session “Addressing Challenges: Primary Care, Rural Health, Native American Health, The Border” laid the foundations for the event. The convening meeting included a workshop discussing the core values project from WONCA and also 3 breakout session workshops including:
1. Medical Education in North America
2. Impact of Climate Change on Clinical Care in North America
3. Community Medicine: Family Doctors as Connectors and Advocates for Health
The WONCA North American Convening meeting also included a business meeting including all full and associate members of WONCA North America where a new North America regional operational guideline document was drafted and approved by the members. This has subsequently been approved by WONCA World executive committee.
Members of the region are quite active in the WONCA WPs/SIGs. The WONCA NA president is currently also the chair of the WONCA Working Party on Education. Additionally, Dr. Paula Henry from the Caribbean region leads the WONCA Working Party on Women in Family Medicine North American regional activities. Dr. Muna Chowdhury from Canada is chair of the WONCA special interest group on adolescent health. There are a number of WONCA NA members who are active in WONCA WPs/SIGs.
The WONCA NA region has a YDM known as WONCA Polaris. They have developed a mentorship program connecting young doctors and trainees with experienced family doctors. Additionally they have developed a webinar series which has included presenters from the North American Region. WONCA Polaris was also a member of the planning committee for the inaugural WONCA NA convening meeting and had an opportunity to present posters and a large group session highlighting their activities.
We are continuing to work with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to sign a memorandum of understanding. We were also invited to the PAHO council and a representative from both WONCA North America and Ibero-Americana were invited to attend.
We will be hosting another convening meeting which is being planned to be hosted in conjunction with the AAFP FMX conference in Anaheim, USA. A business in person meeting will be planned in conjunction with the WONCA World meeting in Lisbon later this year.
President: Dr Pramendra Prasad Gupta, Nepal
Past President: Dr K Sri Ranjan, Sri Lanka
President Elect: Dr Firoz Ahmed, Bangladesh
Honorary Secretary: Dr Sankha Randenikumara, Sri Lanka
Honorary Treasurer; Dr Bikash Gauchan, Nepal
Education Secretary: Dr Tabinda Ashfaq, Pakistan
Members at Large: Dr Shyamallee Samaranayaka,Sri Lanka - Dr Jyotika Gupta Doshi, India - Dr. AR Gobith, Sri Lanka
Young Doctor Representative: Dr Vishnu BS, India
A business in person meeting will be planned in South Asia Regional Conference in Bengaluru, India on 4th to 6th April 2025.
Global Rural Health Summit 2025 in Bengaluru India on 3rd April 2025
More than 15 WONCA SAR Executive Committee meeting Online with in person meeting during WONCA SAR Conference in Bengaluru, India and In Lisbon during WONCA WORLD Conference.
President Elect Dr Pramendra Prasad Gupta Participated in a DIGITAL HEALTH SANS BORDER, a global collaborative movement launched in Geneva at WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY SIDE EVENT on 19th May 2025
Organized Core value workshop/Panel discussion during the WONCA SAR Regional Conference 2025.
We initiated 3 new WPs/SIGs on regional Level and planned to initiated more aligned with the WONCA WPs/SIGs. The different Regional WPs/SIGs done more than 30 Webinars in different subject matter interested by family Physicians.
The Spice Route, Young Doctor Movements of South Asia Region or during the WONCA SAR Regional Conference on 3rd April in Bengal Movements also organized few webinars . The Spice Route had an committee led by DR. VS Vishnu from India who take lead during CONFERENCE in LISBON.
Some member organization of the member countries are closely working with WHO in their respective country.
To Strengthen the collaborative research and exchange program throughout the region. To establish common educational program/ fellowship in the region To emphasize the leadership training and advocacy in the region WONCA South Asia Regional Conference in 2026. To collaborate with the WHO other external Collaborator in advocacy for Primary care, Rural Health, NCDs and Digital Innovations. To establish few WPs/SIGs regional Committee
WP on Education
WP on eHealth
WP on Ethics and Professionalism
WP on International Classification (WICC)
WP on Mental Health
WP on Research
WP on Rural Practice
WP on Women and Family Medicine
SIG on Adolescent & Young Adult Care
SIG on Ageing & Health
SIG on Cancer & Palliative Care
SIG on Complexities in Health
SIG on Emergency Medicine
SIG on Emerging Practice Models for Family Medicine
SIG on Family Violence
SIG on Integrative Medicine
SIG on Migrant Care, Int Health & Travel Medicine
SIG on Point of Care Testing
SIG on Policy Advocacy
SIG on Quaternary Prevention & Overmedicalization
Chair - Dr Victor Ng
Report submitted by Dr Victor Ng and Dr Nagwa Nashat Hegazy
Executive Board
Nagwa Nashat Hegazy (Chair Elect, Egypt)
Brunee Dorsett (YDM, Bahamas)
Bola Fatusin (YDM, Ghana)
Krishna Suvarnabhumi (Thailand)
Marie Andrades (Treasurer, Pakistan)
Laura Goldman (USA)
Carmen Cabezas (Ecuador)
Fabian Dupont(Germany)
Akye Essuman (Ghana)
Description of the WP
The WONCA Working Party on Education will support high quality education, training, assessment and continuing professional development in general practice / family medicine for medical students, doctors in training, and established general practitioners and family doctors.
2025
A major milestone in 2025 was the release of the updated WONCA Global Standards for Postgraduate Medical Education in September. This revision, initiated in 2021, was led by Prof. Victor Ng (Canada), Prof. Nagwa Nashat (Egypt), and Prof. Marie Andrades (Pakistan). Through a comprehensive literature review and extensive consultations with global stakeholders— including focus groups and the WWPE executive—the new framework builds on the 2013 standards to reflect the evolving needs of family medicine training. Organized into nine key areas (e.g., Mission and Outcomes, Training Process, Assessment), the standards are structured at two levels—basic and quality development—to accommodate diverse programmatic contexts worldwide. They serve as a guide for new program development, selfassessment, and formal accreditation. The updated standards document can be accessed via the following link: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/Groups/Educati on/WONCA%20Global%20Standards%20for%20Postgraduate%20Medical%20Education%20 2025.07.20.pdf
WWPE Activities in Lisbon
WWPE Pre-Conference Meeting & Networking : Ahead of the main WONCA World Conference in Lisbon, the WWPE convened a dedicated pre-conference meeting focused on connection and strategic planning. The gathering brought together members and executive leaders to strengthen professional bonds, reflect on organizational milestones, and discuss the future direction of the Working Party. A key moment during the gathering was the formal handover of leadership from outgoing Chair Prof. Victor Ng to incoming Chair Prof. Nagwa Nashat Hegazy, marking a smooth transition and continuity for the Working Party's future work. The session also provided a valuable opportunity for networking and collaboration among family medicine educators from across the globe.
Educational Workshops at the Conference: During the main conference, the WWPE delivered two impactful workshops advancing the conversation on family medicine education. The first, "Competency-Based Education: Transforming Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Training" (ID 2946), took place on 18 September 2025. Led by Nagwa Hegazy (Egypt), Laura Goldman (USA), and Victor Ng (Canada), the session explored the shift toward competencybased curricula to ensure measurable learner outcomes. The second workshop, "Empowering future family physicians: 21st century skills for success" (ID 619), held on 21 September 2025, focused on equipping trainees with essential non-clinical competencies such as adaptability, digital literacy, and systems-based practice. It was facilitated by Eva Irene Maglonzo (Philippines), Victor Ng (Canada), and Krishna Suvarnabhumi (Thailand). Together, these sessions underscored the importance of transforming medical education to foster both clinical excellence and professional resilience.
We have two young doctor movement members on our executive committee. We have also worked with the YDMs to consider creating new initiatives including webinars and mentoring programs.
We will continue to identify possible projects to collaborate with other Working Parties and Special Interest Groups. In particular, we are in discussions with the adolescent health special interest group to collaborate on educational modules. We will continue to work with the WHO to identify projects related to education as they become available.
Chair: Assoc Prof Ana Luisa Neves / Deputy Chair: Dr Edmond Li
Dr Hüsna Sarıca Çevik
Dr Joana Teixeira
Dr Raluca Zoitanu
Dr Steven van de Vijver
Dr Vinicius Anjos de Almeida
The vision of the WONCA Working Party on Digital Health is that digital health becomes a core component of general practice / family medicine / primary health care training, scholarship, and clinical practice in all nations.
Our mission is to promote thought leadership, knowledge exchange, and international collaboration to advance the science and implementation of digital health in primary care, with a focus on digital literacy, medical education, capacity building, accelerating the quintuple aim, addressing the digital divide, and supporting vulnerable populations.
Over the past year, we kept growing our WP, thanks to focused effort on enhancing visibility through our activities and targeted campaigns in social media channels. As of now, our membership portal total, launched January 2025, totals 113 members (+20% increase in membership from last year).
Elections were held this year, resulting in the appointment of a new Executive Board in October 2025. The current Board includes continuing members from the previous term (Ana Luísa Neves and Steven van de Vijver), alongside newly elected members Edmond Li, Joana Teixeira, Vinicius Almeida, and Raluca Zoitanu.
To support delivery of our strategic priorities, we restructured the Executive Board with clearly defined workstreams and dedicated leadership roles. This governance model strengthens accountability, coordination, and impact across core areas of activity.
Dr Hüsna Sarıca Çevik – Workstream Lead, Training and Capacity Building
Dr Joana Teixeira – Workstream Lead, Community and Engagement
Dr Vinicius Anjos de Almeida – Workstream Lead, Research
We launched the book Digital Health in Primary Care, edited by Associate Professors Ana Luísa Neves and Luísa Laranjo. The volume brings together contributions from more than 50 members of our global network and reflects diverse regional perspectives on digital transformation in primary care.
We continued to develop our flagship research project, “Digital Health Training Needs”, a sequential mixed-methods research programme. This includes a scoping review, an international survey, focus groups, and a consensus exercise aimed at developing evidencebased recommendations on how to embed digital health training within undergraduate and postgraduate health curricula. To date, we have completed a global survey mapping digital health curricula across more than 60 countries in all WONCA regions and concluded focus groups to identify emerging and unmet training needs.
We published an academic piece at the Canadian Journal of General Practice (Keith Thompson, Ana Luísa Neves, Azar Varahra Vigeh, Steven van de Vijver, Karen Kinder, Liliana Laranjo and Tom Freeman), in which we revisited Ian McWhinney’s principles in the digital health age. As an ecosystem, it is pressing to reflect on which strategies can be implemented so the principles are protected, and whether they need to be revisited in light of the emerging challenges of new service delivery models of care. We develop recommendations that directly link to McWhinney’s principles: family physicians understand patient digital literacy and adapt consultations to enhance doctor-patient relationships; family physicians leverage digital knowledge democratization to partner with patients, improving health literacy and preventive care; family physicians advocate for equitable digital health access, ensuring technologic advances promote inclusive care; and family physicians prioritize compassionate relationships over technologic demands in digitized health care systems. The full paper is available online.
The WP had a strong presence in WONCA World 2025 in Lisbon, including our WP eHealth Preconference Meeting, participation in WONCA’s Collaboration Hub, the Official Launch of the book ‘Digital Health for Primary Care’, a workshop on Digital Health Equity (led by Dr Steven van de Vijver), and a presentation on the ‘Evolving Training Needs in General Practice/Family Medicine’ led by Joana Teixeira.
Collaboration with Other WPs/SIGs
Our ongoing Flagship Research Project “Digital Training Needs in Primary Care” is a collaboration with the WP Research and SIG Policy Advocacy. As outlined below, we were involved in workshops with WHO/OECD.
We have collaborated with the WONCA's Working Party on Ethics and Professionalism, contributing with feedback to a position statement on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in primary care, currently under development. We are also preparing a join webinar between the WONCA WP on Digital Health & EYFDM Digital Health & AI SIG webinar on AI and Health Equity (in Primary Care), to take place June 2026.
Assoc Prof Ana Luisa Neves joined the WONCA delegation (Viviana Martinez-Bianchi M.D. (President-Elect), Dr. Harris Lygidakis (CEO), Prof María Pilar Astier Pena (WHO Liaison Officer), and Prof José M. (Chema) Valderas (WP on Quality and Safety). She acted as panelist at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly (WHA78), Geneva (May 2025), for the session “Empowering Primary Health Care with Digital Intelligence for Universal Health Coverage”. WONCA World Delegation at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly (WHA78), Geneva (May 2025)
Assoc Prof Ana Luisa Neves was also invited as panelist to the WHO/OECD joint webinar (May 2025), “Strengthening Telemedicine: Sustainable Practices and Policy Pathways for Health Systems.”
We will continue to co-design our vision and mission in close collaboration with our wider membership, including the organisation of an Annual Strategy Development Meeting open to all members. We are committed to actively engaging members across our workstreams and ensuring meaningful participation in the Working Party’s activities.
We will further advance our flagship research programme, which aims to develop evidencebased recommendations to support the integration of digital health training into undergraduate and postgraduate curricula. Under this umbrella, the Working Party on Digital Health is undertaking three research projects during the 2025–2026 period, focused on how digital health is currently taught in medical education and how future primary care training can better respond to evolving digital health needs. These include: (1) a scoping review of postgraduate digital health training; (2) focus groups with primary care physicians to identify key training gaps and opportunities to modernise curricula; and (3) an international review of undergraduate and postgraduate curricula from over 60 countries to identify optimal content, structure, and delivery approaches. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at major academic conferences (e.g. WONCA Europe Paris 2026, RCGP 2026).
In parallel, from April 2026, the Working Party will host a Digital Health Webinar Series featuring topic experts and practice-relevant content for primary care physicians globally, developed in collaboration with WONCA communications teams.
We will also strengthen partnerships with EYFDM, IFMSA, Royal Colleges, and academic institutions, explore sponsorship opportunities to enhance accessibility, and support the longterm sustainability of the Working Party.
Chair - Dr Tania Moerenhout
Executive Board
Andrew Papanikitas (Deputy Chair)
Tracy Jacovides
Walter Jaoko
Avni Patel (YDM representative)
Amal Al Ali
Issam Shaarani
Ignaas Devisch
Mariano Granero
Carmen Nadal Agost
Ross Upshur
Tariq Aziz
K. Sri Ranjan
Description of the WP
The Working Party on Ethics and Professionalism seeks to support primary care professionals with ethical dilemmas and tensions that arise in the daily clinical encounter, through education and policy.
The Working Party has spent a significant amount of time on the preparation of a position statement regarding the ethical use of AI in primary care. It has been challenging to capture an overview and recommendations on AI integration into primary care and its ethical aspects into a succinct document that is relevant to our everyday practice across the globe. The Working Party is now preparing a final draft that will be presented to other Working Parties and Special Interest Groups in 2025 before publishing this document.
Andrew Papanikitas, our Deputy Chair, led a workshop together with other Board members presenting the work-in-progress on our AI ethics position statement at the WONCA Europe conference at the end of September. The workshop was well-attended, and this was an excellent opportunity to get feedback on our ideas and early draft. - We organised a webinar on cybersecurity and ethics for telemedicine in primary care early November, in collaboration with the Young Doctors Movement and Interpol. The webinar was also recorded and the recording is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG0Arb9fPxU
Tania Moerenhout, our Chair, attended two conferences in Australasia that were relevant to the Working Party’s activities. The first one was the inaugural clinical ethics colloquium of CESA, the Clinical Ethics Society of Australasia, and the second was AABHL, the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law’s annual conference. It was clear from both conferences that there is currently a gap in the provision of clinical ethics support in primary care, and the Working Party is examining whether it could make contributions to the development of such ethics support services in primary case as part of our goals in the next two years.
We collaborated with the Young Doctors movement to organise a webinar on cybersecurity and ethics for telemedicine in primary care. This was also a collaboration with Interpol. We have also been in touch with the WP on eHealth about the preparation of our position statement regarding the ethical use of AI in primary care, and they will provide feedback on our final draft once this is available.
We plan to complete a final draft of the AI ethics in primary care position statement, and to gather feedback on this document within WONCA through other relevant Working Parties and Special Interest Groups and ultimately the WONCA Board. We also plan to revise our goals for the next 2-4 years with a new Chair coming in at the time of the WONCA World Conference. One of the themes we are keen to explore is that of clinical ethics support for primary care.
Chair: Dr Gustavo Gusso
Executive Board
Øystein Hetlevik
Julie Gordon
Elena Cardillo
Preben Larsen
Description of the WP
The WONCA International Classification Committee (WICC) is WONCA's longest serving committee. It is a large group whose mission is to develop and maintain classifications that accommodate the complete domain of family medicine/general practice. The WICC has an impressive collection of publications including the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) which classifies patient data and clinical activity in the domains of general practice/family practice and primary care, taking into account the frequency distribution of problems seen in these domains. It allows classification of the patient’s reason for encounter, the problems/diagnosis managed, interventions, and the ordering of these data in an episode of care structure.
Activities 2025
Meeting to celebrate 50+ years of WICC
Monthly executive meetings Annual meeting in Newcastle
Workshop at WONCA Europe
Support for the transition of the Foundation's actions
Strategic meetings with WONCA leadership Invitation letter for new members to the major family medicine scientific associations
I attended the WHO FIC annual meeting
Collaborations with Other WPs/SIGs
I took part in e-health activities such as a workshop during the EGPRN meeting
Chair: Prof Christos Lionis
Executive Board
Dr Marilena Anastasakis – Public Health Interface, Member at large (Europe)
Dr Joseph Adekunie Ariba – Regional Vice-Chair (Africa)
Dr Darien Cipta – Regional Vice-Chair (Asia Pacific)
Dr Flavio Dias – Secondary care Interface, Member at large (Iberoamerica)
Prof Christopher Dowrick – Past Chair (Europe)
Dr. Emma C. Gilchrist (USA)
Dr Pramendra Prasad Gupt – Regional Vice-Chair (South Asia)
Dr James Jackson – Secondary care Interface, Member at large (North America)
Dr Abdullah al Khatami – Regional Vice-Chair (EMR)
Dr Phoebe Holdenson Kimara – Regional Vice-Chair, YDM Representative (Asia Pacific)
Dr Juan Mendive – Secretary (Europe)
Dr Alfredo Oliveira Neto – Regional Vice-Chair (Iberoamerica)
Dr Daniel Ostergarde – Regional Vice-Chair (North America)
Dr Ferdinando Petrazzuoli – Regional Vice-Chair (Europe)
Dr Heather Rogers – Psychology Interface, Treasurer (Europe)
Dr Ana Bertha Perez Villalva – Young Doctor Representative (Iberoamerica)
Description of the WP
We are in a particularly challenging time with a pandemic, conflicts, violence, wars, and an energy and ecological crisis. Healthcare systems are now struggling to attempt to tackle the resulting toll on mental health. It is time for primary health care (PHC) to take on greater leadership. Healthcare systems often have failed to meet the needs and expectations of people globally, and a key barrier has been the inability to implement a whole-person approach to care, especially in addressing the accelerated presentation of mental health conditions during this period of increased life-stressors and trauma. This pandemic has created an increased urgency to strengthen mental health systems in most countries. WWPMH’s mission is to empower GPs, family doctors, and PHC practitioners and their care teams to improve the quality of care regarding the mental health status of their patients and, in parallel, their patients' access to behavioural health services.
Throughout 2025, a diverse range of activities were conducted.
Conferences, including the World Conference in Lisbon, as well as the WONCA Regional Conference, including the WP on Rural Health, where we were involved in the approved and published declaration.
We also continued collaborative projects, including the Advocacy Project with one international publication, the MDD Minds for Primary Care Project (with an evaluation meeting in Brussels and two international publications, the Five Steps (AlKhathami) Integration model with several national meetings, including one in Morocco and Tunisia, as well as the MHT project that supported doctors in settings affected by conflicts and disasters.
Several proposals for training and research proposals have been made and submitted with the support of the WONCA Secretariat and the WONCA CEO.
A new book titled 'Challenges in Primary Mental Health Care: Models for Interdisciplinary Collaboration' is being edited and presented at the WONCA Lisbon. Collaborations with WPs/SIGs: Collaborations with other WP/SIGs were established through meetings arranged by WONCA Global. A letter of interest was crafted for select institutions and networks with activities relevant to primary care and GP/FM. Collaboration with WHO: Collaborative efforts to advance joint activities under WHO's support are ongoing, mainly focusing on integrating mental health into primary care, and a mini-Conference for February 25 and 26, 2026, has been prepared.
In particular with WP on Research, WP on Rural Practice and WP on Planetary Health.
We have established various collaborative pathways and members if this Movement are participating in the WP on Mental Health Steering Committee.
WHO, World Psychiatric Association (WPA), European Psychiatric Association (EPA), World Federation of Mental Health, several Universities across the world, and national governmental and non-profit organisations.
Collaboration with WHO WHO-WONCA Mini Conference (https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/WHOWONCAMentalHealthPrimaryCare.aspx)
To continue the major collaborative projects, including MDD Minds, MHT, Five-steps, and several collaborative actions with national stakeholders, non-profit organisations, as well as to strengthen integrative activities with various WONCA WPs and SIGs.
Chair: Dr Mehmet Akman
Executive Board
Felicity Goodyear-Smith
Jose Maria Valderas Martinez
Sairat Noknoy
Nagwa Nashat
Taghreed Farahat
Bob Phillips
Christos Lionis
Lidia Caballero
Bob Mash
Mehmet Ungan
Chris van Weel
Description of the WP
The WONCA Working Party on Research seeks to expand research in general practice (GP) /family medicine (FM) and welcomes interested family doctors to join. We aimed with our group to promote all university departments of FM/GP/primary health care (PHC) globally in supporting and engaging in research to provide essential evidence for informed clinical and health policy/decision-making and to support countries and regions in the promotion of FM/GP/PHC research in their respective nations.
Activities 2025
We have chosen 2 liason person from YDMs. YDM opened vacation and selected appropriate candidates. Our executive voted to choose 2 of them. Finally we have two brilliant young doctors Antony Sunjaya and Stephen Engmann.
We started a new book project which will be also published under WONCA series. The title is future perspectives of primary care research. We had already three positive official feedback and waiting for final official approval. The editors are Mehmet Akman, Bob Mash, Felicity Goodyear-Smith. We believe the book will have an significant impact and already authors has been reached out for various chapters.
We launched a mentorship program for primary care research in collaboration with YDM. The coordinators are Mehmet Akman, Duygu Ayhan Başer, Antony Sunjaya and Stephen Engmann. YDM announced the call for mentees and more than 60 applications were received. From WWPR end we have allocated 21 mentors for approx 57 mentees. The mentorship will last 6 months. It started with a kick of meeting where Chris van Weel and Nunes Gill Conde were the keynote speakers. We will follow up the process and close the program with presentations of the mentees and good works among them will be endorsed for WONCA conferences. We started the process of updating our membership and planning the ever first online chair and ExBo elections using WONCA online election tool.
Collaboration with Other WPs/SIGs
YDM as mentioned in the activities
New book project, for ex planetary health chapter is being prepared by planetary health WP. Collaborative fund project was another collaboration.
Collaboration with Young Doctor Movements
Mentorship program
Webinar in March about how to publish.
Collaboration with External groups
With EFPC, WHO and universities.
We have invited authors from these organizations for the new book. Also WWPR chair Mehmet Akman represented WONCA during the meeting about adult vaccination organized by WFPHA in November 24. This meeting yielded an action for call on adult vaccination and Mehmet Akman is following this up At this stage final call is presented for approval to WONCA ExBo.
Future Plans for 2026
New elections, publication of the book and completion of mentorship program. Also we plan to run WS in Lisbon and other regional conferences. General assembly will be held in Lisbon conference too.
Chair: Prof Bruce Chater
Executive Board
Bruce Chater, Chair
Pratyush Kumar, Chair elect
Canan Tuz, Secretary
Jo Scott-Jones, Treasurer
Jamil Khalfan, Rural Seeds
Alexandra Ferrara, Rural Seeds
Tariq Jagnarine, Planetary health
Description of the WP Rural WONCA (The WONCA Working Party on Rural Practice) was formed by a group of enthusiastic rural doctors at the WONCA conference in 1992 and ratified as a Working Party by WONCA Council in 1995. Its first international conference was in 1996 and there have been a total of 20 conferences since with 27 Declarations. The Working party has published 11 Policies which have been instrumental in shaping and advancing rural health. It has also published two versions of the Rural Medical Education Guidebook. (These resources available at www.RuralWonca.org)
It has a keen focus on rural Family Medicine/General Practice while recognising the need for a broad based Rural Generalist multidisciplinary team. It is governed by a Council of 60 (nominations called annually) and an Executive of 7. Our Mission is Rural doctors reaching towards rural health in partnership with like-minded groups through Repositioning and relationship Education Activism Conferencing and communication Our Vision is Health for All Rural People Rural Seeds is our young doctors' group. The best way to get involved is to attend the World Rural Health Conferences attend Rural WONCA events at WONCA conference You can join the group here
Activities 2025
Global Rural Health Summit - WONCA SAR, Bengaluru India 2025 with a focus on:
Health Workforce Dynamics: A Lifecycle Approach
Health Resources & Access - Diagnostics / Infrastructure
Global Health & Rural Perspective
Climate Change, Urbanization & Future of Rural Health
Rural India with a focus on Urban-Rural Maldistribution
Misplaced priorities of the medical education system Rural WONCA also participated in WONCA Lisbon 2025.
Our young doctors group, Rural Seeds, is an active participant in Young Doctor Movement of WONCA.
Collaboration with External Groups
We have an active partnership with Network: Toward Unity for Health including as lead of their Rural Community of Practice.
Collaboration with WHO
As well as participating in the WONCA work with the PHC area, we are:
Collaborating with WHO Rural Equity including partnering WHO and OECD on development their technical product regarding Rural Proofing
Collaborating with WHO Workforce including membership on the Rural Health Workforce Pathway Program Implementation Guidance Project
Contributing a rural voice to National programmes for age-friendly cities and communities: a guide
Future Plans for 2026
21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference 2026
Whānau Ora: Integrating Mātauranga Māori, indigenous knowledge with rural health for a thriving future
Chair: Dr Elizabeth Reji
Executive Board
Dr Hina Jawaid
Dr Hambolu Eloho
Dr Nina Monteiro
Dr Mercy Wanjala
Dr Paula Henry
Dr Suha Hamshari
Dr Amaranto Nieto
Description of the WP
It encourages women to be a leader, work on women's health and present their work in international and National conferences. There is mentoring throughout and developing friends world wide.
Activities 2025
Participate in conferences, Had workshops during each regional conference, had a fireplace chat in Africa.
Conduct webinars throughout many regions, had educational activities.
Celebrated the International women's day and World Family Doctor's day
Collaborate with SIG FV and Young doctor's movement
Newsletters
Collaboration with Other WPs/SIGs
Had a workshop in Singapore conference with the SIG FV.
Collaboration with Young Doctor Movements
Young Doctors' movement in all the regions. Conducted a webinar with the EYDM. Had a workshop in Singapore conference with the SIG FV.
Future Plans for 2026
Have webinars in all the regions
Write newsletters
Chair: Dr Muna Chowdhury
Description of the WP
The AYA SIG is an online community of family physicians who share a passion for adolescent and young adult health. The SIG allows members to have the opportunity to engage with fellow members, share insights, ask questions, and collaborate on innovative strategies to enhance the care we provide to adolescents and young adults. The portal has a repository of evidence-based resources which is continually being updated. We look forward to connecting with you and advancing the health of our young patients together!
Activities 2025
With Andrea Zard's assistance and support, we have a Group on the Membership Portal. We are currently creating a textbook to support primary care providers who work with adolescents and young adults.
Collaboration with WHO
Members of our SIG were involved in the creation of the Pocket Book of Primary Health Care for Children and Adolescents.
Future Plans for 2026
We hope to engage with the International Association of Adolescent Health to co-creating workshops for primary care providers in their upcoming 2025 Congress. We also hope to engage with the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine to create policy papers dedicated to adolescent and young adult health. We hope to finalize and publish a book on adolescent and young adult health to support primary care providers who are managing the care of this population.
Chair: Dr Leon Geffen
Providing care to older persons can be one of the most exciting, challenging and rewarding aspects of medical practice. The SIG aims to improve older person care in primary care in all countries by: developing new primary care models for older persons; advocating the implementation of undergraduate and postgraduate family physician training in older person care; promoting research in elderly care in family practice; integrating care of older persons in primary health care services. Its specific objectives are: To stimulate and promote standards of excellence in primary care to empower high standard evidence based older person care. To promote the concept of trans-generational well-being and active ageing. To promote and develop research on older person care in primary care. To organize scientific meetings, during WONCA and relevant conferences To promote the discipline of older person care in primary care world-wide through working within WONCA, international organisations and agencies, NGO’s, government organisations, patient groups & other medical colleges.
Collaboration with International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics e-TRIGGER training program for Africa, Middle East & Europe. This 12 month program is accreited for 60 hours of CPD activity.
Collaboration with Towards Unity For Health (TUFH) to assist them with establishing a community of practice for older person care and review their guidelines.
The SIG organised a workshop at the WONCA South Asia Conference on 4 April 2025. During the WONCA Southeast Asia Conference held from April 24-27 in Busan, Republic of Korea, the SIG under the leadership of Dimity Pond, Cheridine Oro Josef & Eve Irene Maglonzo conducted a seminar titled "Harnessing the Power of the Community to Improve Care of Older Persons." Dimity Pond, Kim Yu, Cheridine Oro Josef, Maria-Pilar Astier-Pena, Eve Irene Maglonzo and Kheng Hock Lee provided expert input to the over 70 attendees.
The SIG established two partnerships during this period. The collaboration with the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics resulted in the IAGG eTRIGGER (e Training in Geriatrics & Gerontology) Program implementation in two regions viz. African Middle East and Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. The program provides WONCA members with discounted access to 36 hours of geriatrics training delivered by experts over 12 month
The SIG has identified goals for the next two years. Membership growth from the current base of just under 100 members is planned, along with leadership development to increase the number of family medicine leaders with geriatrics expertise. Training programs will continue through established partnerships, with plans to expand activities in the Iberoamerica region. The SIG will maintain its practice of organising meetings at WONCA regional conferences. Population demographics show the largest growth occurring in people aged 60 and above. This demographic shift requires strengthened geriatrics training in postgraduate and undergraduate medical education globally. Family physicians and general practitioners serve key roles in healthcare systems and require preparation for this demographic transition. The SIG addresses this need by providing training opportunities and encouraging participation from young doctors, trainees, early-career physicians, and established family physicians and general practitioners to develop geriatrics knowledge and skills.
Chair: Dr Shrikant Atreya
Executive Board
Dr. Shrikant Atreya
Dr. Scott Murray
Dr. Daniel Munday
Dr. Chamath Fernando
Dr. Tania Pastrana
Dr. Raman Kumar
Description of the WP
This SIG works towards disseminating Primary Palliative Care education, service and research globally.
Activities 2025
Propagating primary palliative care concept to general practitioners across various workshops and conferences
Developed international collaboration on various service and research projects
Established network with various international bodies such as Asia Pacific Hospice Network, European Association of Palliative Care and Indian Association of Palliative Care to disseminate primary palliative care
Publishing reports and research findings in international peer reviewed high impact journals to propagate the collaborative efforts towards developing primary palliative care. An example: Acted as an advisory to EAPC for developing primary palliative care module for community health workers, this will soon be sent to the president, WONCA for it to be endorsed and put to use in the community.
Collaboration with Other WPs/SIGs
The SIG has collaborated with SIF on Education to organise workshop in Indonesia.
Collaboration with WHO
Had the opportunity to present the work done in primary palliative care by the SIG at WHO meeting in Geneva in May 2025
Worked with WHO to develop mobile message service for patients and caregivers in the community
Acted as advisory to develop palliative care for Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh
4Actively engaged with WHO for planning monthly webinars to invite global experts in palliative care meetings for sessions on the impact they have created in their regions, challenges in palliative care dissemination and solutions at regional level
Chair: Prof Joachim Sturmberg
Description of the WP
The SIG promotes ecosystemic thinking about health, health services, health system design and health policy. Everything we engage with as health professionals is interconnected and interdependent with other things, be it physiology, social issues, or the physical and political environment. Considering problems requires the simultaneous exploration across all these dimensions to allow the best adapted solution to emerge.
Activities 2025
WONCA workshops on complexity themes Individual member presentations Collaboration with NAPCRG CASFAM group
Publication of multiple papers by members
Collaboration with Other WPs/SIGs
We provided input at the research WP.
Collaboration with External Groups
NAPCRG
Future Plans for 2026
Engaging with the Young Doctors group
On boarding to WONCA communication platform
Chair: Dr Elena Klusova
Executive Board
Chair-elect: Nisanth Menon
Secretary: Miriam Rey Seoane
Community officer: Raisa Álvarez Paniagua
Project officer:Rocío García-Gutiérrez Gómez
Regional representatives:
Australia and New Zealand: John Adie
Europe: Dina Salkovic
Africa: Mercy Wanjala
USA: Tony Gerard
YDM representatives: Mirian L. Villca and M. Roshan Parajuli
Description of the WP
Dear adrenaline addicts, doctors in love with the immediacy of the reaction and the speed of the decision based on the deep understanding of the mysteries of the human body, this is the group for you.
Activities 2025
Creation of the group's executive committee Contact with YDMs and initial test of collaboration with its representation in the executive Gathering representatives from Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, North America, Australia/New Zealand.
Recruitment of new members worldwide Creation of the international WhatsApp group with 221 active members.
Conducting a statistical study on the main topics of scientific interest for the group members, resulting in the formation of 30 special interest subgroups focused on geographical areas and similarities in health systems.
Creation of an Instagram account
Development of media content Hosting the pre-conference for the Young Doctors Movement at the 8th WONCA Africa Region Conference Afriwon 2024
Hosting the 2nd International WONCA Emergency Medicine SIG Seminar WEMSEM 2024. Initiating contact with WONCA/EUSEM for potential collaboration (two meetings with WONCA CEO Dr. Harris Lygidakis, EM-SIG Chair Dr. Klusova, EUSEM CEO Davi Kaur, and Vice President Dr. Christoph Dodt to discuss the possibility of an MOU and the initiation of collaboration)
Initiating contact with WONCA/WHO for collaboration Beginning the creation of the Post Graduate Certificate in Urgent Care in Australia and New Zealand in collaboration with the EM SIG
Creating the EM SIG page on the Membership Portal Conducting the EM SIG workshop on the management of Difficult vs. Aggressive Patients at WONCA EU Dublin 2024 Conducting the EYFDM Dublin Preconference workshop 2024
Preparing proposals for the Forum Grand Region 2025 and WONCA World Lisbon 2025.
This year we have worked shoulder to shoulder with the WONCA Women’s Working Party, conducting activities in parallel for the Afriwon pre-conference. We hope this contact will lead to scientific collaboration in 2025. We plan to resume joint activities with our colleagues from the Rural Medicine WP.
The EMSIG is the 'forever young' ally of the EYFDM. The group is made up of young doctors as well as more experienced physicians. We have a joint WhatsApp working group called the 'EMlovers' where we actively work on proposals for activities for WONCA and EYFDM events, which we NEVER miss. In 2024, as always, we presented the workshop at the pre-conference and are preparing our proposals for the Grand Region EYFDM Forum 2025.
This year we can proudly highlight: Initiating contact with WONCA/EUSEM for potential collaboration. Initiating contact with WONCA/WHO for collaboration. We are in the process of preparing proposals to WHO to identify common points of interest and possible lines of joint work. Beginning the creation of the Post Graduate Certificate in Urgent Care in Australia and New Zealand in collaboration with the EM SIG (The Post Graduate Certificate in Urgent Care (PGCertUC) has been approved by the UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia leadership. It is being developed and co-designed by UCC representatives from RACGP - Home, ACRRM - Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, ACEM - Home, The Australasian College of Paramedicine, Australian College of Nurse Practitioners, EM-SIG Lead for the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) Dr. Klusova, and the 2014 - 2020 disaster management lead from WHO.
After some previous attempts at contact with WHO that were not very well directed, we have decided to prepare proposals to WHO to identify common points of interest and possible lines of joint work. We hope this change in strategy will be more successful.
One of the main objectives is to keep the group active and engaged by being inclusive and attracting colleagues from regions that we still do not have represented. Expanding the reach of our educational information through media is another important objective for us. Improving the agility and functionality of our Instagram and Facebook accounts, among others.
We have some significant training projects with numerous organizations and universities. This year, we will change leadership in the team. My term is coming to an end, and Nisanth Menon will take the reins of the group's work. We are fully committed to staying united, working as a team, preserving the values learned, and ensuring the transfer of generational legacy.
Enhancing collaboration with young family doctors, developing joint work projects with EUSEM, WHO, and the special interest groups and working parties of WONCA that align with our passions will be our action plan.
Chair: Dr Jingwen Gu
Description of the WP
The emerging practice model is an innovation of the traditional family medicine model. Due to the cultural and development differences between countries and regions, the model can take various forms, but its common goal is to build an international high-quality health service system from multiple aspects such as medical technology, management quality and mode, service facilities, payment methods and so on. The ultimate goal of EPMFM is to provide patients with the best medical experience and health protection.
Activities 2025
On October 26th, 2024 in the afternoon, Huashan Worldwide Medical Center (HWMC) successfully hosted the workshop for WONCA Emerging Practice Model for Family Medicine Special Interest Group (EPMFM SIG) in Shanghai, China. The theme of this workshop was 'Exploration of Emerging Practice Models'.
Future Plans for 2026
Continue to expand the influence of WONCA EPMFM SIG Host at least one workshop in 2025, Establish more collaborations with other WPs/SIGs, Introduce more young doctors to participate in the young doctor Movements.
Steering committe members: Jennifer Neil Fadzilah Hanum Mohd Mydin Raquel Gomez Bravo Elena Klusova Jinan Usta Carmen Fernandez Alonso Nina Monteiro Sajaratulnisah Othman Lodewijk Pas Hagit Dascal-Weichhendler Joyce Kenkre Omneya Ezzat Nena Kopcavar Gucek
Our interest group strives to enhance the safety, health and quality of life of survivors/victims of family, gender-based and sexual abuse and violence as well as the primary health care professionals who provide care for them. We aim to ensure that all health systems and primary health settings are safe, compassionate, culturally sensitive and evidence-based spaces that deliver comprehensive high-quality care for survivors of family, gender-based and sexual violence. Our mission is to contribute to reducing the prevalence and consequences of family, gender- based and sexual violence through prevention, comprehensive and quality care and recovery of survivors//victims. We aim to ensure that all survivors/victims of family, genderbased and sexual abuse and violence are appropriately supported in primary healthcare settings worldwide. Provision through interdisciplinary work, while also promoting the health and resilience of the professionals who care for them.
The Family violence SIG continued their webinar series in 2025 with 3 successful webinars being held on the topics of abuse of the elderly person, Chemical Submission and Drug-Mediated Sexual Abuse in the 21st Century, Abuse of the elderly person and xxs (Raquel, what was the name of the webinar you were involved in?). Recordings of these webinars are available on the WONCA platform and will be a useful resource to primary care health practitioners who would like to upskill in domestic, family and sexual violence. The WONCA World conference in Lisbon, Portugal was an exciting opportunity for members of the SIG to congregate together. A preconference meeting was held where co-chair Raquel Gomez Bravo updated us on the achievements of the SIG for 2025. We then held a brainstorming session to set goals for 2026. Our workshop on trauma and violence informed care, a collaboration with the Women’s Working Party, attracted 125 participants from all corners of the globe and generated much discussion and interaction between participants. Other members of the SIG presented posters or oral presentations during the conference. We held an open meeting for our members in December 2025 during the 16 days of activism against violence towards women and engaged with our members through a survey.
The workshop held at the 2025 WONCA World conference was a collaboration with the women’s working party. Also, the collaboration hub at the conference was attended by several members of the family violence SIG. Our SIG brought a potential project to the table around supports for family doctors who are family violence survivors. In the New Year (2026), this project will commence with the formation of a working party from both the Family Violence SIG and other WPs/SIGs. Members of the steering committee also collaborated on a clinical ethics project with other SIGs and WPs.
We plan to: - Continue the webinar series - Present a workshop at WONCA Europe 2026Engage with our membership and add as many new members as possible - Renew our web page - Continue to update our membership portal - Work on the collaborative hub collaboration and have a clear plan in place for the project including commencing grant applications - Hold an annual open meeting in the 16 days of activism against violence towards women - Seek out grants and projects that with align with our vision, mission and objectives
Chair: Dr Sonia Tsukagoshi
Executive Board
Patrick Reichel
Uma Senthikumar
Dimitri Alepidis, Sankha Randenikumara
Description of the WP
This SIG seeks to integrate traditional medicine with conventional medicine for safe evidencebased practice.
Activities 2025
New newsletter, webinar in collaboration with the spice route (10k views on YouTube).
Collaborations with Young Doctor Movements
Spice route (YDM) for webinar (10k views on YouTube).
Future Plans for 2026
Webinars covering meditation acupuncture, quarterly newsletter
Chair: Dr Rebecca Farrington
Description of the WP
We are a group of international family doctors with clinical and academic experience in migrant health, particularly with people who have been forcibly displaced such as refugees and people seeking asylum. We meet intermittently online and communicate through the WONCA platform and a WhatsApp group to share resources, discuss experiences and support each other. We plan and deliver a workshop annually at WONCA Europe or WONCA World.
Activities 2025
We have uploaded our SIG details to the WONCA digital platform and have been encouraging members to move to using this for communication. This has had variable success, and we have kept our old WhatsApp group going in parallel as it has better engagement and generally has better accessibility.
We canvassed the membership for a successor to chair, and they opted not to have an election but to sanction the appointment of Dr Charlotte Morris, UK, (who has been defacto deputy) and Dr Marwa Ahmed, Qatar, as co-chairs for the next 2years from November 2025 Sharing resources and ideas has been active through the year, including an online presentation about the impact of migration on older people’s health by Dr Louise Tomkow, UK.
Providing peer support for members through open discussion on an ad hoc and informal basis.
Collaborations with Young Doctor Movements
We have several members who are part of the YDM and follow their work closely
Collaboration with WHO
Follow up from WHO Global Research Agenda on Health, Migration and Displacement international technical consultations, workshops, and adapted Delphi survey, as a non-state actor for Health and Migration Program (PHM) which started in 2023
Chair: Dr Jan Verbakel
The WONCA Special Interest Group on Point-of-Care Testing (SIG POCT) is dedicated to advancing the role of rapid diagnostic tools in primary care to improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. POCT allows family physicians to deliver timely, evidence-based care by providing diagnostic results during the patient consultation.
The SIG POCT focuses on:
Education and Advocacy: Promoting awareness of POCT’s benefits and providing training to ensure its effective use.
Research and Innovation: Encouraging studies on the clinical and economic impact of POCT in diverse healthcare settings.
Policy and Implementation: Supporting the development of guidelines and policies to enable sustainable integration of POCT in primary care globally.
Global Collaboration: Fostering partnerships to share best practices and address barriers to accessibility and implementation.
The SIG POCT welcomes family physicians, researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals interested in enhancing the quality of care through point-ofcare testing. Together, we strive to empower primary care providers with innovative tools for better patient-centered care.
With the start of the new chair, Jan Verbakel, the WONCA Special Interest Group has launched a new international survey to assess the use of point-of-care tests (POCT) in general practice. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of POCT by primary care physicians has become increasingly relevant. This survey aims to provide valuable insights into current practices and the needs of GPs regarding these tests. The SIG POCT is planning a dedicated session on implementing POCT in Primary Care at the next WONCA World Conference in Lisbon.
Collaborations with External Groups
With Noklus in Norway.
The WONCA SIG on Point-of-Care Testing will focus on advancing the integration of POCT in primary care through a range of activities:
Educational Initiatives: Organizing workshops and practical training sessions to equip family physicians with the skills to use POCT effectively.
Advocacy and Awareness: Launching campaigns and resources to highlight the benefits of POCT.
Research and Dissemination: Supporting collaborative studies on the clinical and economic impact of POCT, and publishing regional case studies showcasing successful implementations.
Policy Development: Publishing a white paper with evidence based recommendations for integrating POCT into primary healthcare systems and addressing adoption barriers.
Networking and Collaboration: fostering regional partnerships, and engaging with industry stakeholders to promote innovation.
Description of the WP
Our SIG aims to help family doctors learn or extend their advocacy skills - by sharing expertise, regional experience, background theoretical material, and developing learning through webinars, conference presentations, and online resources. We have regional leads and collaborate with different parts of WONCA to maximise our contribution.
Activities 2025
4 global webinars; establishment of regional leads network, some of whom who are hosting their own webinars; networking with lead experts (such as Lauren Hughes at the Farley Center) and regional groups (such as the WONCA Europe WP on Advocacy); and beginning to develop materials into an online toolkit that members can use as theychoose.
Collaborations with Other WPs/SIGs
WONCAEurope WP; Digital Health (for their book proposal); advice when requested about key advocacy messages.
Collaboration with Young Doctor Movements
We invite YDMs, and are planning our next webinar with this group as panellists.
Future Plans for 2026
This has to be formed with colleagues input over the next 6 months but we plan to: continue our quarterly webinars - continue to submit activities for conferences continue to try to secure active leads for all WONCA regions and with the YDM groups develop the WONCA Advocacy Toolkit, and feed this in with work with TUFH as appropriate
Chair: Dr Karin Kopitowski
Description of the WP
The WONCA Special Interest Group on Quaternary Prevention promotes the responsible use of healthcare resources by avoiding overmedicalization and reducing harm from unnecessary interventions. We aim to raise awareness, provide education, and support evidence-based practices to protect patients from low-value or harmful medical activities. Our group brings together professionals committed to fostering a more ethical, patient-centred approach to healthcare globally.
Activities 2025
Collaboration with CIMF Quaternary Prevention Group: Strengthened ties with the CIMF Quaternary Prevention Group to promote ethical care and reduce overmedicalization across the Iberoamerican region.
Contributed to an international research network on desimplementation, fostering collaboration and sharing expertise globally.
Promoting Choosing Wisely in Latin America and the Caribbean: Partnered with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to support the development of Choosing Wisely campaigns tailored to regional healthcare needs.
Conducted workshops and webinars to raise awareness of quaternary prevention principles among healthcare professionals and decision-makers.
Resource Development and Research: Developed practical tools, guidelines, and educational materials to facilitate the implementation of quaternary prevention in daily clinical practice.
Engaged in research projects addressing overmedicalization and exploring innovative approaches to ethical healthcare delivery.
Contributed to an international research network on desimplementation, fostering collaboration and sharing expertise globally.
Promoting Choosing Wisely in Latin America and the Caribbean: Partnered with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to support the development of Choosing Wisely campaigns tailored to regional healthcare needs.
Collaborations with External Groups
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO): Worked in partnership with PAHO to reduce overuse in medical care across the Americas, supporting the development and dissemination of Choosing Wisely initiatives in the region.
Finalize and implement the 2025-2026 logical framework for coordinated action in the desimplementation and reducing low-value care.
Educational and Advocacy Efforts: Develop a virtual, self-guided course on desimplementation for the PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health. Host webinars and practical sessions featuring experts in the desimplementation and rational use of healthcare resources.
Advocate for integrating desimplementation principles in medical, nursing, and allied health education programs. R egional Campaigns and Public Engagement: Launch a multilingual (Spanish, Portuguese, English) campaign to educate healthcare professionals and empower patients through social media, videos, and infographics. Disseminate simple and accessible resources on the appropriate use of medications for both professionals and the general public.
Strengthening the Choosing Wisely Network: Support countries not yet part of Choosing Wisely to join the initiative, leveraging collaborations with regional medical societies. Facilitate dialogue with national health authorities to include desimplementation in policy agendas.
Research and Evidence Generation: Collaborate on studies related to desimplementation, aiming for robust methodologies, including randomized controlled trials, to generate highquality evidence.
Development of Key Resources: Translate and culturally adapt Choosing Wisely Canada resources for regional use. Expand the online presence of Choosing Wisely Latin America to serve as a hub for knowledge sharing and advocacy.
These activities will position the group as a leader in fostering sustainable, ethical, and patient-centred healthcare across diverse regions while strengthening its global impact.
Young Doctor Representative on Executive
AfriWON
Al Razi
EYFDM (European Young Family Doctors Movement)
Polaris
Rajakumar
Spice Route
Waynakay
Dr Cheryl Chan
The WONCA YDMs provide a platform for young doctors who defined in the WONCA Bylaws “as those in family YDMs Annual Report 2025medicine training or in the first five years of family medicine practice” to connect , collaborate and learn from each other via various activities and platforms. We have regular webinars , leadership program 'ASPIRE' , global exchange program 'FM360', mentorship program, to empower our young doctors for networking, knowledge exchange and leadership development.
Collaborative Webinars: We conducted a series of seven collaborative webinars with various WPs and SIGs. A standout event was the webinar with the SIG on Integrative Medicine and the Spice Route, which attracted an impressive 10,000 views on YouTube. This engagement not only demonstrated the interest in integrative approaches but also fostered a sense of community among family doctors from diverse backgrounds. These webinars served as a platform for knowledge sharing, allowing practitioners to learn from each other's experiences and expertise. It also gives our young doctors a platform to present their work.
Donald Li YDM Global Scholarship: In a groundbreaking move, we launched the Prof Donald Li YDM Global Scholarship, the first-ever scholarship aimed at supporting young doctors from Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). This initiative is designed to empower emerging early career doctors by enhancing their accessibility to the WONCA World Conference in Lisbon.
WFDD Celebrations: The World Family Doctor Day (WFDD) celebrations were another highlight, showcasing the contributions of family doctors globally. The events not only raised awareness about the vital role of family doctors but also encouraged collaboration and networking among professionals. The celebrations included various activities that emphasized the importance of family medicine in improving health outcomes, supporting the main theme each year.
YDM Preconferences Before Regional Conferences: The YDM successfully organized preconferences before several regional conferences, creating dedicated spaces for young doctors to connect, share experiences, and discuss contemporary issues in family medicine. These preconferences provided a platform for mentorship and networking, enabling participants to engage with established professionals and peers. By emphasizing the unique challenges faced by young doctors, these sessions aimed to empower the next generation of family medicine leaders.
The Young Doctors' Movement (YDM) collaborated closely with various working parties and special interest groups to enhance professional development. We hosted five webinars covering diverse themes such as planetary health, integrative medicine, and emerging family medicine practice models, with the integrative medicine webinar achieving over 10,000 views on YouTube. Additionally, the YDM partnered with the working party on research to launch a mentorship project aimed at pairing young doctors interested in research and academic medicine with experienced mentors, fostering growth and knowledge in the field. These initiatives underscore our commitment to collaborative learning and support for young doctors.
The YDM proudly appointed two representatives to the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) under the WHO. Dr. Alejandra Leon from Colombia, who serves as the YDM Chair for the Latin America region, and Dr. Eloho Hambolu from Nigeria, the Young Doctor Liaison at the WWPWFM, will advocate for the interests and voices of young doctors in global health discussions. Their involvement in PMNCH underscores the commitment of YDM to influence policy and practice in maternal and child health on a global scale. Dr Cheryl Chan also represents WONCA YDM on the UNODC Young Doctors Network on “Access to controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes while preventing diversion and non-medical use”.
The Young Doctors' Movement (YDM) plans to continue its collaborative efforts by hosting a series of webinars in partnership with various working parties and special interest groups (WP/SIG). These webinars will cover a wide range of relevant topics, fostering knowledge sharing and professional development among young doctors.
Meet AfriWon RENAISSANCE – the vibrant African network for young and future general practitioners and family physicians! We’re part of the WONCA Africa region, and we’ve been inspiring change since our launch at the WONCA World Conference in Prague back in 2013. Whether you're an undergraduate curious about general practice and family medicine, a postgraduate diving deeper, or a young doctor in your first five years after specializing in GP/FM, we’ve got a space for you. Join us and be part of a movement shaping the future of healthcare across Africa!
YDM Liaison Dr. Stephen Engmann was successfully nominated as the YDM Liaison for the WONCA Working Party for Research.
Montegut Scholar Award Celebrated a member’s recognition with the Montegut Scholar Award, enabling them to attend the WONCA Africa Conference in Nairobi.
Country Engagement Highlights Increased participation from DRC, Liberia, and Kenya in CPD sessions.
Continued leadership from Nigeria and Ghana in competitions and webinars.
Here’s a snapshot of what’s ahead:
Executive Committee Elections A pivotal moment for AfriWon as we prepare to elect a new Executive Committee. The elections will provide an opportunity for fresh leadership to guide AfriWon’s vision and continue fostering growth and collaboration across the region. AfriWon Research Group Activities Regular Meetings: The Research Group will convene regularly to discuss ongoing projects, identify new research opportunities, and support members in their academic pursuits. Research Sessions: Focused sessions will be held to train members in research methodologies, data analysis, and effective dissemination of findings. Writing and Publications:
The group aims to publish research articles in reputable journals, showcasing the work of young African family doctors and contributing to global knowledge in primary care. ARC Program The highly anticipated ARC program will continue to support young doctors with professional development opportunities.
World Family Doctor Day Campaign AfriWon will lead a regional campaign to celebrate World Family Doctor Day in May. Activities will include awareness drives, social media campaigns, and events.
Dr. Adel Yasky
Young Doctors Movement representing and empowering young Family Medicine and General practicers in the region. This moment aims to facility the networking, exchange experience and facility their reach toward worldwide opportunities.
Activities 2025
Gathering and including the highest number of countries representations since establishment of the movement
Collaborating with several regional and international groups
Recreating and presenting new branding for the movement
Collaboration with External Groups
We collaborated with the local societies in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and Jordan. In Saudi Arabia we collaborated with the Saudi Society of Family and Community Medicine where we were presenting in their annual Family Medicine day and several other webinars. In Egypt our participant was in activating the natural breastfeeding awareness week collaborating with he local Family Medicine community. In Bahrain we had a successful collaboration with local activities lead by the local Family Medicine Society and Finally in Jordan our collaboration was to initiate an awareness campaign about role of Family Physicians in community.
Future Plans for 2026
We will be having an Al Razi Led webinar series, Participate in upcoming WONCA EMR conferences.
Dr. Daria Gheorghe (starting 19/1/25)
EYFDM is the young doctors' movement of the WONCA Europe. We comprise residents and recently qualified family doctors from across the European region. We meet as a movement twice each year: once at a young doctors' pre-conference before each annual WONCA Europe conference, and once at our own standalone Forum organised by members from a different country each year. Between meetings, we run bilateral exchanges across the region, we have a podcast where inspiring family doctors are interviewed, and members host exchange opportunities linked to their own national family medicine conferences.
9th EYFDM Forum in Grande Région, April 2025: April 2025 marked a first of it’s kind event for EYFDM as we proudly hosted the first three country forum: a collaboration between Germany, Luxembourg and France in the Grande Région. The event welcomed more than 200 participants all around Europe and was sold-out ! Participants had the opportunity to attend various workshops and key-notes on three different sites: the universities of Saarland, Luxembourg and Strasbourg were home to panels ranging from breaking the gender bias in medical research to integrating AI in our daily practice but also topics focused on physician’s wellbeing and the different career paths and journeys a Family Doctor might experience. The final keynote focused on our impact on the environment and on how we can do our best to tackle climate change from our position as young doctors.
The Bridge Project: The Bridge Project was an initiative pioneered during the pandemic to link EYFDM members working in different countries so they could work together on areas of common interest. We are currently on our fourth edition, keeping up the momentum of the third where we had ninety-five participants in fifteen groups.
One EYFDM member has done an FM 360 exchange to Sri Lanka. Otherwise our chair participated in the YDM Leads committee. The Bridge Project was around the world and indeed we did recruit participants from be
Future Plans for 2026
More of the Same!
Dr. Brunee Dorsett
Polaris is the WONCA YDM North Americas chapter.
Activities 2025
empowerED – started WONCA Polaris’ first podcast show PolaRISE – started our first 6month mentorship program
PolarUS – started our monthly general membership meetings and coffee break
Polaris has partnered with Besrour Center in Canada, for the past several WONCA terms.
WP/YDM Collaborative webinar March 2025 – Taught young doctors how to publish their research
Collaboration with External Groups
Polaris is also in collaboration with The Besrour Centre.
Future Plans for 2026
Continue monthly podcast episodes, quarterly newsletters, WP/SIG collaboration webinars.
Dr Ping-Hsun Chang
The official name of the WONCA Young Doctor Movement in the Asia Pacific Region is The Rajakumar Movement (TRM). Let us form collaborative bilateral links for a pooling of experience and expertise that will have a beneficial multiplier effect on both partners. Experience in vastly different cultures and environments will make us better doctors and better human beings.
Activities 2025
Asia-Pacific Webinars
World Family Doctor Day Celebration
Collaboration with WPs/SIGs
Jan 19, 2025: TYDM and SIG Emerging Practive Models for Family Medcine
Future Plans for 2026
Monthly Webinar Hosted by different Countries/Regions: Jan: Collaborative Webinars with SIG Emerging Practice Models for Family Medicine Feb: Webinar hosted by Japan Mar: Webinar hosted by Korea Apr: WONCA APR Conference, Young Doctors' Preconference in Busan, Korea May to Dec: Monthly Webinars, host countries/regions to be determined Bi-monthly TRM Executive Meeting Keep Recruting Young Doctors in Asia-Pacific Regions Election for the next term TRM Executives.
Dr Kinley Bhuti
Spice Route South Asia has six member countries Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Srilanka . Since its formation in 2017, the YDM has actively promoted in encouraging many young FM doctors through various medical webinars and conferences.
India, April 2025: Organized a second pre-conference, emphasizing the contribution of young doctors in strengthening primary healthcare systems and addressing emerging healthcare challenges. Young doctors from across the region gathered again at the Bengaluru Conference April 2025.
A series of webinars were conducted over the past two years to provide regular academic engagement for young doctors. These online forums facilitated cross-country learning and interaction, ensuring that GPs remained informed of recent developments in the discipline. YDM Spice Route has continued to provide a platform for peer-to-peer learning, networking, and the exchange of ideas. Through these efforts, the movement has enhanced both clinical competencies and leadership skills of early-career doctors in South Asia.
Looking ahead, YDM Spice Route will build on these achievements by: Expanding opportunities for structured mentorship and leadership training. Promoting collaborative research and knowledge-sharing across the region. Strengthening partnerships with WONCA and other stakeholders to further the role of young doctors in advancing universal primary care.
The Spice Route South Asia YDM reaffirms its commitment to nurt family doctors and contributing to the global vision of equitable, accessible, and person-centered healthcare.
Waynakay Movement began activities in 2010 during an International Family Medicine Symposium in Mexico. The movement is formed by 18 different countries, each with a national representative, subdivided into 3 regional movements (Mesoamerica, Southern Cone and Andean Subregion), and 4 internal workgroups (Exchange, Communications, Research and Academic work group).
Waynakay Movement was present in the activities prior to the Iberoamerican Family Medicine Summit Uruguay 2025, leading and composing some of the workgroups regarding the subjects: competencies for Family Physicians, Community Emergencies, Technology in Family Medicine, Sanitations emergencies among others. Six internships were accomplished by the efforts of the FM360 workgroup for this event.
For the first time since its creation in 2010, Ameyali Waynakay Mexico was considered to participate in the board meeting for the Federación Mexicana de Especialistas y Residentes en Medicina Familiar A.C. where the national representative presented the proposal for the National Award for Family Medicine Residents “Dr. Georgina Farfán Salazar,” which was approved by a majority vote.
Waynakay Movement was successful in the organization and development of the WONCA YDM WP on Mental Health Collaborative Webinar Series in 2025. In this event, we had the participation of Dr. Ana Pérez as a speaker (as a member of both Waynakay Movement and the WP on Mental Health), Dr. Nina Zarela as a speaker, Dr. Mary Ugarte (Spanish to English translation) and Dr. Nilka Arosemena (English to Spanish translation).
During the activities for the Iberoamerican Family Medicine Summit Uruguay 2025
The participation for YDM webinars will continue due to the success, in the planning process, speakers and translators. We are trying to reach farther into non english YDM's from our movement. Waynakay movement will continue with the inner webinars for the different countries that make up the movement (2 countries per webinar, bi monthly). Waynakay different workgroups will continue with the digital workshops on research and academic continuous medical education, seeking the exchanges for our YDMs who wish to experience the family medicine practice in other countries, and our communications workgroup will continue managing our websites and digital media platforms to get the attention of YDM across our continent.
Global Five Star Award 2024-2025
Maria Inez Padula Anderson (Iberoamerica).
Regional Five Star Awards 2025
Louis Jenkins (Africa)
Ming-Nan Lin (Asia Pacific)
Fatemeh Najafipour (East Mediterranean)
Jana Bendova (Europe)
Peter Torzsa (Europe)
Kim Yu (North America)
Preethi Wijegoonewardene (South Asia)
WONCA Fellowships
Bruce Chater
Dan Abubakar
Evelyn Van Weel
Faisal Al Naser
Adam Windak
Anna Stavdal
Victor Ng
Shlomo Vinker
Jane Namatovu
Marina Almenas
WONCA Honorary Life Direct Individual Members
Kay Mohanna
Roshni Jhan Ganguly
Muna Mostafa
Samantha Murton
Mihai Iacob
Klaus Von Pressentin
Tabinda Ashfaq
Karen Flegg
Abdulaziz Al-Mahrezi
Karen Price
Montegut Global Scholar Award
Tania Gahama Ineza (Africa)
Jake Bryan Cortez (Asia Pacific)
Samar Al Mouazen (East Mediterranean)
Sidika Ece Yokus (Europe)
Liliana Villegas Valdomero (Iberoamerica)
Sasha Farrier (North America)
Sankha Randenikumara (South Asia)
Taiwanese Family Medicine Research Award
Ioannis Saxionis
Lytzalaura Chavez Quezada
Nur Aliah Binti Zulkeflee
Ozan Emre Eliacik
Donald Li YDM Global Scholarship
Beesan Maraqa
Michael Angelo J. Arteza
Stephen Engmann
Atai Omorutu Scholarship Award
Lydia Wangui Ngigi
Adedotun Oluwaseun Ajelabi
Want to see the main highlights for 2025? Check out our Snapshot! Gratitude is extended to the WONCA Executive, Chairs of WONCA Working Parties, Special Interest Groups, and Young Doctor Movements for their invaluable support in finalizing this report. Your contributions were indispensable, and this accomplishment wouldn't have been possible without your assistance! Contact
https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/