2026 is off to a rocky start. Political shifts, conflict, economic pressure and rapid change are shaping the context in which family doctors live and work. But the future is still unwritten. As a global network, we draw strength from one another, sharing experience, values and a commitment to care that is rooted in relationships and trust, caring for patients, strengthening communities, and improving quality of life for everyone.
One of the most pressing changes facing our profession is the pace of digital transformation, particularly artificial intelligence. These tools are arriving quickly, often ahead of clear evidence or guidance. Rather than standing apart from this shift, family medicine is engaging with it critically and thoughtfully. Across this issue, you will see how WONCA and its members are grappling with what AI means for workload, ethics, safety and equity. This reflects the theme for World Family Doctor Day 2026, Compassionate Care in a Digital World.
In this issue, you will find a wide-ranging interview with WONCA President-elect María Pilar Astier Peña on the future of primary care, a mini-conference with the World Health Organization on mental health, a new documentary capturing the energy of the SIG on Emergency Medicine, and a growing programme of webinars and learning opportunities including a ten-part series on digital health. We also share news from upcoming conferences in the Asia-Pacific region and Ibero-America, offering spaces to connect, reflect and learn together.
WONCA NEWS
PRESIDENT-ELECT INTERVIEW: In a wide-ranging interview with the Jordi Gol Primary Care Research Institute (IDIAPJGol), WONCA President-elect María Pilar Astier Peña reflects on the global state of family medicine, the pressures facing primary care, and the priorities ahead for WONCA. Drawing on her experience in quality, patient safety, and international advocacy, she speaks about workforce challenges, funding, training, and the role of family medicine in strengthening health systems worldwide.
WHO–WONCA MENTAL HEALTH MINI-CONFERENCE: WONCA and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe will host an online mini-conference on Mental Health and Primary Care on 25-26 February 2026.
Scaling up mental health services within the PHC approach: The programme builds on the 2025 WHO policy paper on mental health and primary care and moves the discussion from policy to practice. Speakers include Viviana Martinez-Bianchi MD, WONCA President, Prof Christos Lionis, Chair of the WONCA Working Party on Mental Health, Kim Yu MD, WONCA Liaison to WHO, and Dr Ana Luisa Neves, Chair of the WONCA Working Party on Digital Health.
Topics will include early identification and prevention, workforce training, sustainable financing, and the careful use of digital tools and AI in primary care. Registration is free.
Date: 25-26 February 2026. Programme available here. Register here.
SHORT DOCUMENTARY: WONCA has released a new short documentary featuring the Emergency Medicine Special Interest Group (SIG) and its rapid growth in recent years. A self-described group of “adrenaline addicts”, the SIG is known for a novel approach to teaching practical emergency care skills, helping family doctors build confidence when managing urgent situations.
“As family doctors, we must be prepared for everything, because nobody knows what will enter through the door of the consultation,” says Dr Elena Klusova (Spain), family doctor and past chair of the SIG, who works in advanced life support and helicopter emergency medicine in Ibiza.
Filmed at workshops in Lisbon, Nairobi and Bengaluru, the video captures the SIG’s hands-on approach to learning, including role-play, teamwork and gamification. Their reputation has spread across the globe, and sessions are often full (with apologies to those turned away in Lisbon, next time we will book a bigger room). Chaired by Dr Nisanth Menon (India), and rapidly expanding in Iberoamerica, the group welcomes members from all regions and is known for its strong sense of community alongside skills training.
DIGITAL HEALTH WEBINAR SERIES: WONCA will launch a new international webinar series on digital health in primary care in 2026, organised by the WONCA Working Party on Digital Health. Running from April/May 2026 to September 2027, the 10-part series will support family doctors and primary care teams to better understand, adopt and use digital health tools in everyday practice. Sessions will be held every two months (45-60 minutes) with two expert speakers and moderated Q and A, and recordings and learning materials will be available to WONCA members.
Sponsorship Opportunity: WONCA is seeking sponsors to support delivery of the series and help keep access broad, sustainable and to the highest quality. If you have connections in your professional network who may be interested in supporting this work, please consider sharing this opportunity. It may be a good fit for technology companies and organisations working in digital health, primary care innovation, training, or health systems strengthening. To discuss sponsorship, contact [email protected] or WONCA’s Secretariat.
WONCA-APR 2026: The Asia Pacific Region conference takes place in Iloilo City, Philippines, from 25–27 March 2026. Beyond the main scientific programme, there are hands-on workshops, Young Doctors’ Movement sessions, practice-based tours, and social events designed to help family doctors learn, connect, and recharge. Read more.
Programme highlights:Pre-conference workshops run on the afternoon of 24 March, covering hospice and palliative care, geriatric care (whole-person approaches), and culinary medicine. The Young Doctors’ Movement pre-conference also takes place on 24 March, including social activities and the Rajakumar Movement Council Meeting. Medical and practice tours run on 25–26 March, with Day 1 focused on planetary health, palliative care, and preventive and lifestyle medicine, and Day 2 covering traditional and complementary medicine, occupational health, community-based family medicine, and population-based programmes. Gala Night on 26 March is the main social networking event.
If you’re looking to enrich your practice, connect with family physicians from around the world, and explore the beautiful and culturally rich setting of Iloilo, WONCA-APR 2026 is the place to be. Register now at wonca-apr2026.org.
IX CONGRESO IBEROAMERICANO DE MEDICINA FAMILIAR Y COMUNITARIA: Ibero-America comes together again in Paraguay, thanks to the leadership of the Paraguayan Society of Family Medicine, which welcomes the region to Asunción. More than an academic meeting, the congress reflects a shared commitment to primary care, professional collaboration, and learning. Family doctors, nurses, educators, researchers, residents, and health teams from across Ibero-America are invited to meet, exchange experiences, and build a common vision of people-centred care.
EJGP EDITORIAL ON AI: In an editorial in the European Journal of General Practice, the journal of WONCA Europe, the editors say generative AI is being adopted in healthcare faster than most innovations, often without enough evidence. They call for real-world research on patient outcomes, GP workload, bias, safety and ethics.
INTERVIEW WITH CHAIR OF WONCA WP ON ETHICS: This wide-ranging interview with Dr Andrew Papanikitas (UK) explores burnout, reflection, ethics, and what it means to practise as a generalist today. A GP in Oxford and Deputy Editor of the British Journal of General Practice, Andrew is also the newly appointed Chair of the WONCA Working Party on Ethics and Professionalism. Interviewed by MedicsVoices, he reflects on creating space to think broadly, talk with colleagues, and resist the pressures that narrow general practice into an endless treadmill. The conversation touches on moral distress, part-time practice, medical ethics, and sustaining a humane professional life.
Watch, read or listen to the interview on MedicsVoices here.
EQUITABLE PRIMARY CARE RESEARCH: In a new Comment in The Lancet Primary Care, colleagues from WONCA map 50 years of primary care research using a bibliometric review. They show rapid growth in output, but a strong concentration in high-income countries, raising questions about whose needs shape the evidence base. The authors call for fairer partnerships, stronger local data systems, and investment in research capacity.
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.
LAST CHANCE – DONALD LI SCHOLARSHIP: The deadline for applications for the Donald Li Young Doctors’ Movement Global Scholarship in 29 January. This award provides three young family doctors from lower and middle income countries with a $2500 USD bursary to attend a WONCA regional or rural conference in 2026.
GOODBYE X: Thank you to everyone who has followed @woncaworld on X (formerly Twitter) over the years. We have taken the decision to close this account and focus on channels that better support our global community of family doctors.
DR TARA KIRAN ON CO-DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF PRIMARY CARE IN CANADA: Family physician, health systems researcher and host of the podcast Primary Focus Dr Tara Kiran (University of Toronto) will explain how OurCare, Canada’s largest public engagement initiative on the future of primary care, gathered patient priorities and helped shape policy in several provinces, including Ontario’s Primary Care Act. She will outline what the initiative did, what people told the team, and what reforms they are working on next.
Date: Thursday, 22 January 2026. Time: 16:00 UTC (17:00 CET).
SUPPORTING AFRICAN FAMILY WOMEN IN MEDICINE: Organised by AfriWon, the WONCA Young Doctors’ Movement for Africa, in collaboration with the WONCA Working Party on Women and Family Medicine, this session “From Access to Impact” looks at mentorship, networking, and practical opportunities to support women family doctors across Africa. The keynote speaker is Dr. Jane Namatovu Frances (Uganda), past president of WONCA Africa.
Date: Saturday, 24 January 2026. Time: 15:00 UTC (16:00 WAT).
CIRCULATORY HEALTH WEBINAR: Join the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health for an online discussion on turning the 2025 UN Political Declaration on NCDs into practical action for circulatory health. WONCA will be represented by Kim Yu (USA), alongside Jerome X. Walcott, Minister of Health and Wellness, Barbados. Other speakers include leaders from Kenya’s Ministry of Health, the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on NCDs, the International Society of Nephrology, the International Diabetes Federation, the World Heart Federation, the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations, and the International Council of Nurses. Moderated by Bente Mikkelsen (World Heart Federation).
Date: Tuesday, 24 February 2026. Time: 14:00-15:30 UTC.
GERIATRICS TRAINING OPPORTUNITY: Registration is open for the IAGG e-TRIGGER ASIO 2026 program. This online training in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology for the Asia-Pacific region, is open to all members of WONCA irrespective of where you live and work. WONCA is a collaborating partner in this program, and WONCA has representation on the Advisory Board. Over 600 healthcare professionals globally have completed this training.
Program Details:
Starts: Saturday 24 January 2026
Duration: 12 months
Format: 12 live online sessions (one Saturday/month, 3 hours each)
Total: 60 hours training, IAGG-World certified
Sessions recorded for later viewing if needed
2026 Curriculum
1. Global Ageing & Principles of Geriatric Medicine
2. Biology of Ageing & Functional Decline
3. Ageing Physiology/Pharmacology/Pathology
4. Geriatric Mental Health
5. Community Care
6. Disability Prevention: Mobility Disorders
7. Managing Cardiovascular Chronic Conditions
8. Managing Patients with Cognitive Decline
9. Gerontology
10. Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders
11. Cancer Screening & Management
12. Optimising Surgical & Critical Care
Why This Matters for Family Medicine: This interdisciplinary program is designed to provide evidence based knowledge and practical skills for caring for older adults through real case studies. You’ll have the opportunity to connect with colleagues across the region and develop expertise directly applicable to daily practice.
Fees: Based on country income levels 300 CHF (low income countries), 600 CHF (middle income countries), 1,200 CHF (high income countries).
Student rates are half price. Scholarships available – apply early.
