This edition brings key updates for 2026, including new dates for two regional conferences. Colleagues in the Iberoamerican CIMF region will meet in Asunción from 22 to 25 July 2026, and the East Mediterranean Region Conference will take place in Cairo from 29 to 31 October 2026. Both gatherings will offer opportunities to learn, connect, and strengthen primary care across regions.
Applications are now open for two important WONCA awards. The Montegut Global Scholars Program supports early and mid-career family doctors to attend WONCA events in 2026, while the Donald Li YDM Global Scholarship helps young doctors from low and middle income countries with travel and registration costs. These schemes help broaden participation and nurture the next generation of leaders. Please share them widely.
We also highlight today‘s Human Factors webinar on compassionate doctor–patient relationships in the age of Artificial Intelligence. WONCA webinars are free to attend, and great ways to network and learn from experts across the globe.
WEBINARS
HUMAN FACTORS SCIENCE WEBINAR: There is still time to register for today’s session in the Human Factors series. Moderated by Prof Richard Roberts, this webinar features Dr Şeyma Handan Akyön from Türkiye speaking on “Strengthening Doctor–Patient Relationship: Reflections from a Young Family Doctor on Artificial Intelligence.”
Ready for AI: This topic is highly relevant to next year’s World Family Doctor Day theme, Compassionate Care in a Digital World. Dr Akyön and the European Young Family Doctors’ Movement (EYFDM) Digital Health and AI SIG recently published new research in the Annals of Family Medicine on AI readiness among young family doctors. Their findings point to a clear need for stronger training and more human-centred use of AI in primary care.
Date: Thursday, 4 December 2025. Time: 14:00–15:00 UTC. Register here.
OBESITY CARE WEBINAR: WONCA Europe is hosting a free webinar on reshaping obesity care in primary practice. The session will explore evolving definitions, diagnostic criteria and practical management approaches for busy clinicians.
Date: Wednesday, 10 December 2025. Time: 18:00 CET.
BUILDING STRONGER PRIMARY CARE TEAMS AND ADVANCING HEALTH EQUITY IN THE AMERICAS: At the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting, WONCA President Dr Viviana Martinez-Bianchi shared new PAHO–WONCA research on family medicine workforce realities and training trends, plus insights from WONCA’s projects on core values in family medicine. She called for urgent investment in primary care teams, training, and territorial integration. Highlighting shared values like equity, compassion, and continuity, she affirmed WONCA’s commitment to supporting family doctors as agents of health system transformation across the Americas.
WONCA is committed to nurturing the next generation of family doctors and strengthening global primary care through three prestigious awards that offer financial support and recognition for emerging leaders and physicians from underrepresented regions.
MONTEGUT GLOBAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM: Applications are now open for the Montegut Global Scholars Program (MGSP) 2026. The programme offers seven bursaries of USD 3,500, with one scholar selected from each WONCA region – Africa, Asia Pacific, East Mediterranean, Europe, Iberoamerica CIMF, North America and South Asia.
Support for WONCA conference attendance in 2026: Scholars may use the bursary to attend a WONCA Regional Conference in 2026 or the WONCA World Rural Health Conference taking place in New Zealand in April. The MGSP supports early or mid-career family doctors and GPs active in education, research or quality improvement who may face financial barriers to attending WONCA events. The programme is generously supported by the American Board of Family Medicine Foundation, in honor of Alain Montegut M.D.
DONALD LI YDM SCHOLARSHIPS: Applications are now open for the Donald Li Young Doctor Movement Global Scholarship. This scheme supports young doctors from low and middle income countries by helping cover registration, travel, visa costs and accommodation for WONCA conferences.
Who should apply: Eligible applicants must come from a World Bank low or middle income economy, meet the YDM definition of a Young Doctor, be active in their regional Young Doctor Movement and secure a supporting letter from their regional YDM lead. Three bursaries of USD 2,500 will be awarded in 2026. Successful applicants may use the funding to attend a WONCA Regional Conference or the World Rural Health Conference in New Zealand.
Thank you: This opportunity for young family doctors is generously supported by Dr Donald Li, Past WONCA President and a long standing leader in family medicine across Hong Kong, China and globally.
Applications: The deadline to apply is 29 January 2026.
UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE DAY – 12 DECEMBER: WONCA stands with the global movement marking Universal Health Coverage Day on 12 December. This year’s campaign message is clear and urgent: “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!” Across the world, millions of people still cannot access essential care without financial hardship. For many families, the choice between seeking treatment and meeting basic needs remains a daily reality. As family doctors, we see these consequences first-hand in our communities.
UHC Day 2025: We call on governments to take immediate action to uphold the right to health. The campaign challenges the idea that it is normal to delay or avoid care because of cost, or to be pushed into poverty due to out-of-pocket payments. These pressures make communities poorer and sicker, deepen inequalities, and stall progress on every Sustainable Development Goal.
We encourage the WONCA community to join this year’s mobilisation. Share the campaign’s images and messages, available in five languages, and help raise awareness of the human impact behind the statistics. Together we can amplify the call for strong primary health care as the foundation of universal health coverage.
FEATURED DOCTOR – DR JUAN CARLOS PEROZO GARCÍA: From Falcón, Venezuela, Dr Juan Carlos Perozo García is a family doctor, epidemiologist, educator, and tireless advocate for the role of family medicine in rebuilding community and trust. He leads research and postgraduate training at the Universidad Nacional Experimental Francisco de Miranda and serves as Secretary of Interinstitutional Relations for the Venezuelan Society of Family Medicine (SOVEMEFA). In this profile, he reflects on the challenges facing healthcare in Venezuela, the deep value of regional and global solidarity, and the belief that family medicine is more than a specialty—it is a civilisational project. He also shares the story of Una Sonrisa en Navidad, an initiative bringing food, music, and joy to children in vulnerable communities each Christmas. Read the full interview.
MUSIC AND MENTAL HEALTH DOCUMENTARY SCREENING: The Working Party on Mental Health invites you to the online launch of Tone of Mind, a 15-minute documentary created as part of the Music and Mental Health Project led by Dr Alfredo de Oliveira Neto (Brazil). This project began during COVID, when WONCA colleagues from around the world sought ways to ease the emotional strain felt by patients, families, and health workers through music. Since then, the group has organised webinars, co-created an original song and music video, produced sing-along recordings, and published work on the role of music in supporting wellbeing.
Tone of Mind: The documentary, directed by Tristan Pemberton, shares stories from Brazil, South Africa, India, and Australia, showing how music can act as a tool for care. The premiere will include a virtual meeting with the musicians featured in the film, short reflections from the director and WONCA leaders. Join the online premiere and gather together with colleagues and music.
Date: Thursday, 18 December 2025. Time: 13:00 UTC. Register here.
SUPPORT GAZA’S HEALTH WORKERS: WONCA is continuing to support two trusted humanitarian efforts: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), providing emergency and trauma care, and Oxfam, delivering clean water, sanitation repairs, and support for displaced families.
DISCOUNT ON WONCA BOOKS: A reminder that three new titles in the WONCA Family Medicine Book Series are now available, covering key themes in modern primary care — Digital Health for Primary Care, Core Values in Family Medicine: Inspiring Global Change, and Challenges in Primary Mental Health Care: Models for Interdisciplinary Collaboration.
WONCA Direct Members receive an exclusive 20% discount on all books in the series.
ANNOUNCING TWO NEW CONFERENCES IN 2026: Dates are now confirmed for two regional meetings next year in the East Mediterranean and Iberoamerican CIMF regions.
See you in Paraguay: From 22 to 25 July 2026, Asunción will host the meeting point for Family Medicine across Iberoamerica. On behalf of the Paraguayan Society of Family Medicine, Dr Federico Lezcano shares an enthusiastic invitation to the IX Iberoamerican Congress of Family Medicine / Family and Community Medicine. Save the date!
See you in Cairo: The WONCA East Mediterranean Region Conference will take place in Cairo, Egypt, from 29 to 31 October 2026. More information soon!
SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACTS FOR WONCA AFRICA 2026: The deadline for abstract submissions for the 9th WONCA African Region Conference is approaching. The meeting takes place in Gaborone, Botswana, on 10 and 11 September 2026, with pre conference activities on 9 September. Hosted by the Botswana Association of Family Physicians, the theme is We Are One, focusing on planetary health and collaboration in primary health care.
WONCA EUROPE 2026 – Abstract Submission Deadline Extended: Good news for those who want to actively participate in the WONCA Europe Conference 2026! The abstract submission deadline has been extended until midnight on December 22ⁿᵈ, 2025.
Take advantage of this extra time to share your work and contribute to this event! Don’t wait any longer:
WORLD RURAL HEALTH 2026: Wellington will host the World Rural Health Conference in 2026, welcoming participants to Aotearoa New Zealand. The theme is Whānau Ora: Integrating Mātauranga Māori with rural health for a thriving future. The organisers aim to offer a deep introduction to the cultural landscape of Aotearoa and the realities of delivering care in rural communities.
Keynotes announced: The programme includes the Rural Seeds stream for young rural doctors and a strong keynote line-up. Sir Ashley Bloomfield will speak on the leadership needed for today’s health systems. Dr Jo Scott-Jones will deliver the John McLeod Oration.
WONCA APR CONFERENCE 2026: Acceptance letters to abstract submitters will be sent out by Monday, December 8. Watch your inbox! Join us for the WONCA Iloilo Asia Pacific Regional Conference from March 23-27, 2026!
Visit wonca-apr2026.org for conference registration. Early bird discounts are available until 15 December.
Medical and practice tours: Join the medical and practice tours on 25 and 26 March to learn, meet local experts, and explore Iloilo. Places are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Register here.
WONCA CONFERENCES
10th EYFDM Forum(European Young Family Doctors’ Movement)
Tallinn, Estonia Dates: 30 – 31 January 2026.
