World Organization of Family Doctors - WONCA

12/04/2026

The final day of 21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference is underway!

11/04/2026

Gracias a todas las personas que participaron en este importante diálogo sobre el futuro de la medicina familiar y comunitaria en las Américas.

Si no pudiste asistir, ya está disponible la grabación completa del seminario web.
La sesión reunió a voces de toda la región para reflexionar sobre los resultados de un estudio en 23 países sobre la formación y la práctica de la medicina familiar y comunitaria. El debate destacó tanto avances como desafíos persistentes, especialmente en la educación continua, las condiciones laborales y el reconocimiento de la especialidad.

También se percibió un impulso positivo. Cada vez más países están mostrando mayor interés en la medicina familiar, reconociendo su papel clave en el fortalecimiento de la atención primaria y en la construcción de sistemas de salud más resilientes.

Ahora el reto es pasar a la acción: transformar estos hallazgos en mejores políticas, formación de calidad y un mayor apoyo para los médicos de familia en toda la región.

Ver la grabación completa:

This webinar presented the findings of a regional study conducted by PAHO, the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA – Ibero-American and North America...

11/04/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us live for this important discussion on the future of family and community medicine in the Americas.

If you missed it, the full webinar is now available to watch.

The session brought together voices from across the region to reflect on new evidence from a 23-country study on how family and community medicine is trained and practised. The discussion highlighted both progress and persistent gaps - in continuing education, working conditions, and the recognition of the specialty.

There was also a strong sense that momentum is building. More countries are taking a closer interest in family medicine, recognising its role in strengthening primary health care and building more resilient health systems.

The conversation now turns to action - how to translate these findings into better policies, stronger education pathways, and improved support for family doctors across the region.

Watch the full recording:

This webinar presented the findings of a regional study conducted by PAHO, the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA – Ibero-American and North America...

10/04/2026

SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT FRIDAYS📣

WONCA Africa Region Conference 2026.

DATES: 10th - 11th September 2026

🎟️Registeration and ticket information:

https://lnkd.in/eD-deQWT

10/04/2026

Join us for this special edition of Rural Seeds Café, live from the WONCA World Rural Health Conference in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Hosted by Dr Amber Wheatley (British Virgin Islands)

10/04/2026

WONCA's Asia Pacific Region Conference brought family doctors from across Asia Pacific and beyond to Iloilo City, Philippines, for a week that combined strong scientific exchange with a clear sense of community.

Hosted alongside the 65th Annual Convention of the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians, the meeting opened with the Rajakumar Movement preconference, where young doctors set the tone early with energy and engagement.

The scale of the programme reflected the region’s momentum - over 3,200 attendees, 216 e-posters, 97 oral presentations, 64 parallel sessions, and seven practice and medical tours. Key themes included mental health, planetary health, ageing, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence in primary care.

The practice tours stood out, giving delegates direct insight into community-based care, including work in palliative care, prevention, and sustainable hospital practice. Beyond the sessions, the atmosphere was shaped by Filipino hospitality - from the Parade of Regions and cultural performances to the gala evening at Nelly’s Garden.

The conference balanced scientific depth with connection, leaving many delegates with renewed energy for their work.

Read the full conference report: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/ConferenceReportWONCAAPRIloilo2026.aspx

10/04/2026

Dr Di Kopua and Mark Kopua of opened with song, grounding the session in Māori knowledge and ways of understanding.

A challenging reflection on mental health, questioning the medicalisation of distress and how colonial thinking can still shape care.

A call to pause, listen, and reconsider our instinct to move straight to solutions - making space for different ways of knowing.

The WONCA World Rural Health Conference opened today in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand and continues over the weekend.

10/04/2026

WONCA Snapshot 2025 is now published.

Family doctors are doing more than ever, often with fewer resources and growing complexity in daily practice. This 16-page document contains highlights from WONCA's Annual Report, which details the progress made in advancing family medicine globally.

Almost all of this work is done on a voluntary basis, on top of clinical care and leadership within countries. That includes the time given by regional leaders, Working Parties, Special Interest Groups and Young Doctors, as well as those who teach, mentor, write, review, and represent family medicine in global spaces.

Thank you.

You can read the full WONCA Annual Report 2025 here: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/AboutWonca/Annualreport.aspx

The Snapshot is also available from the same page.

10/04/2026

Fresh off the plane from the British Virgin Islands 🇻🇬✈️ Dr Amber Wheatley straight into Rural WONCA.

Next stop: Rural Seeds Café, 5:30pm at Tākina, Wellington - a space for connection, ideas, and rethinking how we support the rural health workforce. Leave a comment if you will be joining.

09/04/2026

Yesterday, Rural WONCA held its Assembly at the 21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference in Wellington, New Zealand.

At the heart of the day was the GRACE Initiative (Global Rural Health Action, Collaboration and Excellence), Rural WONCA's new framework for building a global network of organisations committed to rural health.

Delegates from across the world shared models of rural healthcare delivery, from Canada and Australia to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa and beyond. But the day's most powerful message came from Rural WONCA Chair Dr Pratyush Kumar, who called for honesty about the realities facing colleagues in low- and middle-income countries. Rural practitioners in LMICs are often managing two overlapping health crises simultaneously, with fewer resources and less data to make their case to policymakers. That has to change.

GRACE is designed to help make it change, by formalising partnerships built on genuine reciprocity, where knowledge and experience flow in both directions, and where no country's contribution is treated as less valuable than another's.

The rural health community that gathered in Wellington is proof that the will is there. The work continues.

Read the full report and see more photos here: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/RuralWONCAAssemblyAdvancingtheGRACEInitiative.aspx

07/04/2026

See you in Wellington? Comment below if you are attending the WONCA World Rural Health Conference.

3 Days to Go | Rural WONCA 2026

We’re just three days away from welcoming the global rural health community to Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Final preparations are underway as we get ready for a week of connection, learning, and shared purpose — bringing together voices from across the world to shape the future of rural health.

We look forward to welcoming you.

07/04/2026

On World Health Day, WONCA stands with the World Health Organization and colleagues around the world in support of this year’s theme, “Together for health. Stand with science.” Family doctors see every day how evidence-based, people-centred primary care improves lives, strengthens communities, and builds trust in health systems. We thank WHO for its leadership and reaffirm our shared commitment to science, solidarity, and better health for all.