2017 – a new year and this weekend, best wishes for the Chinese New Year. In the news this month, are a number of reports from Working Parties and Special Interest Groups after meetings in Rio. Our featured doctors are two of the chairs of these groups: Thomas Kühlein (WICC) and Domingo Orozco-Beltran (NCDs).

This year WONCA brings you a number of wonderful opportunities for professional development and networking at WONCA conferences. Coming to Abu Dhabi in March (EMR), Cairns in April (Rural Health), Strasbourg in April (young doctors), Prague in June (Europe), Pretoria in August (Africa), Lima in August (Iberoamericana), Pattaya Beach in November (Asia Pacific), and finally Kathmandu in November (South Asia).

We hope you consider attending at least one WONCA conference in 2017. More information on all WONCA conferences here.

Dr Karen Flegg. WONCA Editor.

From the President: Behind the scenes

Life as the new President has been quiet geographically but busy online. There is an odd tension between leadership and service, where the responsibility to ‘keep moving and improving’ is set against the ordinary repetitions of daily life. In fact, as family doctors our most important work is that which we do again and again, in our consulting rooms and clinics, with patients and colleagues

From the CEOs desk: new special interest groups

WONCA is blessed with many Working Parties (WPs) and SIGs which work between world council meetings to progress specific areas of interest to WONCA and its members around the globe. This month and next I will feature some of the seven new SIGs, to give members a flavor of where their interest lies, and give details of how to join the groups for anyone who shares their interests.

Policy bite from Canada : Advocating for Family Medicine internationally.

This month’s Policy Bite is our first ‘external invite’ and has been written by Professor Katherine Rouleau of the Besrour Centre, which is linked with our WONCA Member Organization – the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Prof Rouleau’s submission shows how a member organization can try to impact on government through participating in an official consultation.

Anna Stavdal’s vision for WONCA Europe

Anna Stavdal of Norway is the new president of WONCA Europe. She outlines her plans for the region for the coming two years. – To provide our populations with primary medical care of high quality, we need to be recognized by colleagues and politicians as key players of the primary care team.

WONCA Awards 2016 – winners

At the WONCA World conference in Rio, various WONCA award winners were announced. Many winners are well known leaders in WONCA and family medicine.

Vasco da Gama presidential handover – Reflections

Peter Sloane writes – Having had the huge privilege to serve as President of the Vasco da Gama Movement for two and a half years, it gives me a deep sense of pride to look back on what was an extremely challenging and exciting period, but ultimately one which proved to be tremendously rewarding, engaging, stimulating and invigorating. A time I will never forget.

PDF version