5 September 2025 | Prof. S. Moosa

I am proud to announce that the South African Academy of Family Physicians (SAAFP) has unanimously adopted the motion I submitted calling for urgent, principled action on Palestine.

There were no votes against.

This is not just a procedural win. It is a resounding affirmation that our profession cannot — and will not — remain silent in the face of the systematic destruction of Gaza’s health system, the killing of over 1,400 healthcare workers, and the ICJ’s findings of plausible genocide and apartheid.

SAAFP has reaffirmed its commitment to its Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) — to equity, human rights, and the protection of primary healthcare — and has called for:

  • A public statement condemning attacks on healthcare workers and civilians,
  • Concrete solidarity with Palestinian doctors through scholarships and academic partnerships,
  • And the dedication of the 2027 WONCA World Conference in Cape Town to “Justice for Palestinians: Rebuilding Health and Humanity.”

This is the leadership our profession needs.

✅ Now, We Move from Words to Action

Adopting the motion is a critical first step. But the real work begins now.

I call on the SAAFP President, Council, and Secretariat to:

  • Issue the public statement without delay,
  • Begin negotiations with WONCA World to ensure the 2027 Conference reflects this commitment,
  • And report progress at every Council meeting.

We must ensure this is not symbolic — but substantive and sustained.

🌐 A Call to All WONCA Member Organisations

SAAFP has shown the way.

Now, I urge every WONCA member organisation — from Ireland to Indonesia, from Canada to Colombia — to follow this example.

Hold your own councils accountable. Submit similar motions. Demand consistency. Reject the double standard.

Let us build a global wave of medical ethics that culminates in a WONCA Council motion in 2026 — one that compels WONCA to act with the same urgency for Palestine as it did for Ukraine.

This is not activism.
It is medical integrity.

📎 Read the Full Motion

🔗 References

To SAAFP: Thank you for your courage and leadership.

To the global family of family doctors: The time for silence is over. The time for justice is now.

Prof. S. Moosa
Full Member, SAAFP
Former President, WONCA Africa
Founder, Family Doctors for Global Justice Caucus

See original post “A call for Moral Leadership at the SAAFP AGM 2025”