In this week’s update, we are still buzzing from an amazing WONCA Africa Conference in Nairobi, Kenya as we look forward to the next conferences in Singapore and South Africa. We also reflect on the 77th World Health Assembly and preview some upcoming WONCA webinars.

The best way to get involved in WONCA is to join one of our Working Parties and Special Interest Groups, joining the Young Doctors’ Movement, or by attending a WONCA Conference.

ASANTE SANA: A huge thank you to the Kenyan Association of Family Physicians,  their President Joy “The Joy of WONCA” Mugambi, and to WONCA Africa President Jane Namatovu for hosting an unforgettable WONCA African Regional Conference in Nairobi. It was wonderful to see the WONCA Africa family together, inspiring, energising and learning from one another.

Recap Video: Watch out for some amazing stories from the conference in the next issue of WONCA News but for now, you can re-live the event by watching our short conference recap video.

AfriWon pre-conference: Another big asante to AfriWon chair, Mercy Wanjala, for organising a pre-conference for young doctors at the Aga Khan University. Facilitators from the Special Interest Group on Emergency Medicine travelled from Spain and India to present entertaining and engaging workshops on POCUS, ECG and the Mass Casualty Incidents (photos here). Participants also took a field visit to see the Kenyan Primary Health Care system in action (more photos).

Women Leading the Change: From 2023’s Five Star African doctor, Prof Gulnaz Mohamoud, who started family medicine in Kenya 35 years ago, to 2024 Montegut Scholar, Dr Fathia Nour from Somaliland, part of the first batch of graduates from her country, women family doctors are driving the growth of our discipline in Africa. Family Medicine has such potential to grow even more in this region, especially outside of the English speaking countries, and the conference provided an amazing opportunity for connection and further collaboration. Here’s to an even bigger conference next year in Botswana!

Missing WONCA Already? Don’t forget that this year’s WONCA Rural Conference, Ubuntu, takes place in Cape Town, South Africa from September 10-13, 2024. Our African colleagues are in the envious position of having two WONCA conferences in Africa in one year. We are reminded of WONCA President Assoc Prof Karen Flegg’s March column on why people should attend WONCA Conferences; fun, learning, friendship, cultural experience and networking. Fun is on top of the list!

WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY RECAP: Two weeks ago, the World Health Assembly in Geneva buzzed with activity as global health leaders, including the WONCA delegation, tackled primary health care, non-communicable diseases, and climate change threats. Members of the WONCA leadership have written their report of events and engagements on the WONCA website. Read here.

WONCA EXEC MEETS FACE-TO-FACE: The WONCA executive committee gathered on May 6 – 7 for their first in-person meeting since taking up their positions in October 2023. Hosted by Dr. K. Sri Ranjan in Colombo, Sri Lanka, they tackled finance, membership, governance, and strategic planning. Read more.

MEETING OF WONCA COUNCIL: The annual meeting of the WONCA Council will take place on Tuesday, 25 June 2024. Member Organisations are currently being contacted with details on how to attend the Council, which this year will take place virtually.

WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY: Thank you to all the Member Organisations that sent reports of their activities on May 19, World Family Doctor Day. They will be featured in the next bumper edition of WONCA News, along with individual stories of inspiring doctors working towards a healthy planet and healthy people. Submissions will close at the end of this week.

CYBERxFM PROJECT: As telemedicine grows, so do the threats from hackers and scammers. Cybersecurity meets family medicine in an insightful session on these evolving challenges presented by the WONCA Young Doctors’ Movement and the WONCA Working Party on eHealth, June 16, 2024, from 13:00 to 14:30 UTC. Esteemed experts from eHealth and INTERPOL will share their knowledge. Register now and help build a secure digital healthcare future. Register on Zoom.

PALLIATIVE CARE WEBINAR: The WONCA Special Interest Group on Cancer and Palliative Care invites you to a lecture on “Palliative Care in Humanitarian Crisis” by Dr. Mhoira Leng. Dr Leng is a Scottish specialist with extensive experience in providing palliative care in humanitarian settings. She is Medical Director of the Cairdeas International Palliative Care Trust and a Senior Advisor to the Palliative Care Unit at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Join us on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at 6 PM IST (12: PM UTC). Register here.

WHY (NOT) RURAL PRACTICE?: Join a special rural cafe with Ms Anne Davies. Anne is doing research with the Australian National University and looking into why, and why not, doctors choose rural practices. June 22nd, 10 AM UTC. Join on Zoom.

RURAL HEALTH PROMOTION AND ADVOCACY: Join the Young Doctors of the WONCA WP of Rural Health for a hybrid workshop which is part of the 13th EURIPA Rural Health Forum on the 20th June. Support the Rural Seeds in developing a practical guidebook for rural health promotion and advocacy. Register on Zoom.

WONCA Asia Pacific Region Conference: Singapore. August 21-24, 2024.
View the conference program and register before July 1, 2024 for an early bird discount.

WONCA Iberoamericano – CIMF Conference: Panama City, Panama. October 23-26, 2024.
The call for presentations is now open. Deadline  June 30, 2024.

WONCA South Asia Region Conference: Bengaluru, India 4 – 6 April, 2025.
Dr Roshni Jhan Ganguly looks ahead to 2025 and previews the next South Asia Region conference, and why Bengaluru, the “Silicon Valley of India” makes the perfect venue for the exchange of knowledge, fostering collaborations, and promoting advancements in family medicine.