As 2025 draws to a close, we are sharing an end-of-year message from WONCA President Dr Viviana Martínez-Bianchi, with thanks to family doctors and primary care teams across our global community. We also share an early look at World Family Doctor Day 2026, “Compassionate Care in a Digital World”, with planning resources and key messages on digital health.
This issue includes the online premiere of Tone of Mind from the Working Party on Mental Health, plus two funding opportunities for emerging family doctors through the Montegut Global Scholars Program and the Donald Li YDM Scholarships. You will also find the Lisbon 2025 Abstract Book, regional updates, and key deadlines for 2026 conferences.
FROM THE PRESIDENT: In her end-of-year message, WONCA President Dr Viviana Martínez-Bianchi thanks members across the global family of family doctors and reflects on a year shaped by collaboration, advocacy, and renewed purpose. She highlights key developments from 2025, including the World Conference and Council in Lisbon, expanded global partnerships, and continued work to strengthen the primary care workforce and rural health. Looking ahead, she sets out priorities for 2026, including World Family Doctor Day’s theme, “Compassionate Care in a Digital World”, and a full calendar of regional and world conferences. She also acknowledges colleagues and communities living through conflict, disaster, and displacement, and reaffirms WONCA’s solidarity and commitment to Health for All.
LISBON ABSTRACT BOOK ONLINE: The Abstract Book from the 25th WONCA World Conference 2025 (17-21 September 2025) is now available online. Many thanks to the Associação Portuguesa de Medicina Geral e Familiar (APMGF) and the scientific committee team for making this supplement accessible. Under the theme New Vision for Primary Health Care and Sustainable Development, Lisbon welcomed more than 4,300 participants from 117 countries, who shared primary care research grounded in everyday practice and health system realities.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The theme for World Family Doctor Day 2026, marked on 19 May, is “Compassionate Care in a Digital World.” First announced by WONCA President, Viviana Martinez-Bianchi M.D. in Lisbon, this theme sets a clear direction for how family medicine engages with digital health and artificial intelligence. This early announcement responds to clear feedback from our Member Organisations, who asked for more time and clearer guidance to plan activities. We invite organisations, family doctors and partners across all regions to join the 2026 campaign. Get inspired by the 2025 activities.
Key messages:
1. Family medicine’s values must guide digital care
2. Digital health and AI in primary care must earn the trust of doctors and patients.
3. Good technology clears the path for compassionate care
WONCA has worked with experts from our Working Parties to develop shared messages for 2026, grounded in our growing work on digital health. This includes our recently published book Digital Health in Primary Care, our forthcoming AI ethics position paper, and our Accreditation and Assessment of Digital Systems, which applies family medicine standards to digital tools used in real-world practice.
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).
Join the online premiere and gather together with colleagues and music.
Date: Thursday, 18 December 2025. Time: 13:00 UTC. Register here.
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.
PIERRE PLUYE AWARDS: Applications are now open for the 2026 Pierre Pluye International Awards in Family Medicine Education Scholarship, supported by the McGill Family Medicine Education Research Group. The awards recognise outstanding MSc theses, PhD dissertations and scholarly articles in family medicine education, with a focus on mixed methods research.
CALL FOR PAPERS: A short reminder of the recent call for papers for the Frontiers in Medicine Research Topic United in Partnership: Academic Collaborations for Primary Health Care Transformation, led by members of the WONCA community. The call invites short summaries from teams involved in academic partnerships that strengthen primary health care, aligned with the WHO PHC framework and focused on real-world collaboration across regions and sectors.
Summary deadline: 4 February 2026. Full manuscript deadline: 1 May 2026. More information.
WONCA supports emerging family doctors through two key award schemes that provide funding to attend major conferences in 2026, with a focus on early-career doctors and those from underrepresented regions.
MONTEGUT GLOBAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM: Applications are open for the Montegut Global Scholars Program 2026. Seven bursaries of USD 3,500 will be awarded, one per WONCA region, to early or mid-career family doctors active in education, research or quality improvement. Funding may be used to attend a WONCA Regional Conference in 2026 or the World Rural Health Conference in New Zealand.
DONALD LI YDM SCHOLARSHIPS: This scheme offers three bursaries of USD 2,500 for young doctors from low and middle income countries to support attendance at WONCA conferences in 2026. Applicants must be active in their regional Young Doctor Movement.
FEATURED DOCTOR – PROF BILLY TSIMA: From medical training in Australia to shaping the future of family medicine in Botswana, Prof Billy Tsima brings a wide perspective to primary care. In this interview, the WONCA Africa 2026 Conference Co-chair reflects on his path into family medicine, his work with the Botswana Association of Family Physicians, and the significance of Botswana hosting the regional conference.
ACCREDITATION: Shanghai Xidu Community Health Service Centre has been awarded WONCA Practice Accreditation, becoming the first community health service centre in Shanghai to achieve this recognition. The accreditation followed a virtual assessment in October 2025 and an on-site visit in November, led by Professor Samuel Wong.Serving around 112,000 people, the centre provides integrated, community-based care across prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
MUJERES MÉDICAS FAMILIARES: To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the WONCA CIMF Working Group on Women and Family Medicine convened a Spanish-language panel conversation examining how systemic and systematic violence continues to affect women within health services, as patients, health workers, and caregivers. Drawing on this discussion, the contributors developed a detailed article and global call to action that explores the scale of the problem, its impact on health systems and the workforce, and the role of family medicine in driving change.
SUPPORT GAZA’S HEALTH WORKERS WITH A DONATION: Across Gaza, doctors and health workers continue to care for their patients in conditions most of us can barely comprehend. Hospitals and clinics have been destroyed. Medicines are scarce. Clean water and electricity are unreliable or gone. Many health workers are displaced. Many have lost family. Some have been killed. And still, care continues.
WONCA is supporting two fundraising efforts to aid the humanitarian response:
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): Their Gaza Emergency Regional Fund supports emergency surgeries, trauma care, maternal health, and psychological support delivered by MSF and Palestinian teams.
Oxfam: Working with local partners, Oxfam is delivering clean water, repairing damaged sanitation systems, and supporting displaced families with hygiene, legal, and psychosocial care.
UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE DAY: WONCA marked Universal Health Coverage Day on 12 December, joining partners worldwide in calling for stronger investment in primary care. This year’s focus on the burden of unaffordable healthcare echoed what family doctors see every day – that without accessible, well-funded primary care, universal coverage remains out of reach. WONCA reaffirmed that family doctors are central to people-centred, equitable health systems.
HOLIDAY DISCOUNT ON DIRECT MEMBERSHIP: WONCA is offering a limited-time holiday discount on Direct Individual Membership, available until 31 January 2026. New and renewing members can receive 10% off, while existing members who refer a colleague can earn 20% off their next renewal.
Becoming a WONCA Direct Individual Member means joining a global community of family doctors, with benefits including conference discounts, discount on educational resources and books, a digital membership certificate, and updates on international opportunities in primary care.
SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACTS FOR WONCA AFRICA 2026: Abstract submissions for the 9th WONCA African Region Conference are now open. 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 EMR NEWSLETTER: The December 2025 edition of the WONCA East Mediterranean Region (EMR) Newsletter includes a message from the EMR President and regional updates on education, advocacy, and family medicine practice, alongside features on An-Najah National University’s Family Medicine Clinic, the Regional Diploma Committee meeting, and EMR participation at the 2025 World Council in Lisbon.
EMR Conference 2026: The WONCA East Mediterranean Region Conference will be held in Cairo, Egypt, from 29 to 31 October 2026. More info soon.
WONCA EUROPE 2026: Important Deadlines Approaching!
Final Call for Abstracts: With less than a week left to submit your abstracts, now is the perfect time to share your research, contribute to the scientific dialogue, and help shape the future of family medicine in Europe. Don’t miss this opportunity, submit your work by midnight on 22 December 2025
Early-Bird Registration: Don’t miss your chance to benefit from the reduced early-bird registration rates! Register at the early-bird rate by 31 December 2025 and join us for an inspiring and enriching event.
WONCA EUROPE NEWSLETTER: To see more news from the European region, including a comprehensive look at the activities of our networks, working parties and SIGs including: 7th EURACT Assessment Course, EYFDM news and opportunities, and IPCRG newsletter. November/December 2025 edition. Read here.
SEE YOU IN ILOILO: WONCA’s Asia Pacific Region (APR) Conference will take place in Iloilo City, Philippines, 25 – 27 March, held alongside the 65th Anniversary Convention of the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians. The scientific programme includes keynote and plenary sessions, abstract and poster presentations, the Wes Fabb Oration, alongside practical pre-conference workshops and medical tours. Early bird registration has been extended.
IBEROAMERICA – CIMF: The IX Iberoamerican Congress of Family Medicine and Family and Community Medicine will be held in Asunción, Paraguay, 22-25 July 2026, hosted by the Paraguayan Society of Family Medicine.
WORLD RURAL HEALTH 2026: The full programme for the 21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference will be published on Friday, 19 December. Taking place in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, in April 2026, under the theme Whānau Ora: Integrating Mātauranga Māori with rural health for a thriving future, the programme will include keynote addresses from Sir Ashley Bloomfield and Sir Colin Tukuitonga, alongside WONCA leaders and a returning political panel on health policy, and publication of conference abstracts in the journal Rural and Remote Health.
Registration is open, with social events, and post-conference tours. Montegut and Donald Li Scholarship recipients may also use their awards to attend. More details, speakers, and a short conference video are available at ruralwonca2026.com.
Merry Christmas,
Diarmuid Hayes
Senior Communications Officer [email protected]
