About WONCA
WONCA in brief
What's in a name? "WONCA" explained
WONCA is an unusual, yet convenient acronym comprising the first five initials of the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians. WONCA's short name is World Organization of Family Doctors.
What is WONCA's mission?
The Mission of WONCA is to improve the quality of life of the peoples of the world through defining and promoting its values, including respect for universal human rights and including gender equity, and by fostering high standards of care in general practice/family medicine by:
• promoting personal, comprehensive and continuing care for the individual and the family in the context of the community and society;
• promoting equity through the equitable treatment, inclusion and meaningful advancement of all groups of people, particularly women and girls, in the context of all health care and other societal initiatives;
• encouraging and supporting the development of academic organizations of general practitioners/family physicians;
• providing a forum for exchange of knowledge and information between Member Organizations and between general practitioners/family physicians; and
• representing the policies and the educational, research and service provision activities of general practitioners/family physicians to other world organizations and forums concerned with health and medical care.
Who is WONCA?
The World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) is a not-for-profit organization and was founded in 1972 by member organizations in 18 countries. WONCA now has 126 Member Organizations in 102 countries with membership of about 300,000 family doctors and more than 90 per cent of the world’s population. This includes eight organizations in collaborative relations with WONCA. There are some 50 members in the Academic membership category, which consists of Academic Departments of Family Medicine. Some 1500 individual general practitioners and family physicians have chose to join WONCA in their own right.
Membership of WONCA
WONCA represents and acts as an advocate for its constituent members at an international level where it interacts with world bodies such as the World Health Organization, with whom it has official relations as a non-governmental organization and is engaged in a number of collaborative projects. The WONCA World Secretariat has transferred from Singapore to Bangkok since November 2012
WONCA Structure
WONCA's Council
WONCA is governed by a World Council that meets once every three years just before the world conference. The Council comprises the representatives of member organizations and the officers of WONCA. Committees of WONCA Council WONCA's Council appoints a number of committees every three years.
WONCA Executive Committee
The Council elects an Executive Committee that consists of the President, President-Elect, three Members-at-Large, and a Regional President from each of the seven regions (Africa, Asia Pacific, East Mediterranean, Europe, Iberoamericana, North America, and South Asia). In 2013 a young doctor member was added. The Chief Executive Officer is a member of Executive. The Executive Committee meets up to twice yearly and has full authority to act for and on behalf of the World Council between meetings of the Council. WONCA conducts its work through its statutory committees, Working Parties, and Special Interest Groups (SIGs).
AWONCA Executive 2013-2016:
Dr Raman Kumar President AFPI was a WONCA Executive Member
(Back row from l to r) Donald Li (Member at large); Richard Roberts (Immediate Past President); Raman Kumar (young doctor); Matie Obazee (Africa); Garth Manning (CEO); JK Lee (Asia Pacific); Job Metsemakers (Europe); Karen Flegg (Member at large);(Front row from l to r): Nongluck Suwisith (WONCA manager); Mohammed Tarawneh (East Mediterranean); Amanda Howe (President Elect); Michael Kidd (President); Ruth Wilson (North America); Pratap Prasad (South Asia); Luisa Pettigrew (Member at large); Inez Padula (Iberoamericana)
WONCA 'groups'
WONCA has a number of Working Parties, Special Interest Groups and Young Doctors' movements that work between world council meetings to progress specific areas of interest to WONCA and its members around the globe. These groups comprise hundreds of family doctors who meet three yearly, sometimes more often, and in between work by correspondence. Over the years they have carried out groundbreaking studies and research, and have produced a variety of important publications.
WONCA regions and member organizations.
WONCA has seven regions, each of which has their own regional Council and run their own regional activities including conferences.
WONCA Direct Membership
Since WONCA first began, many family doctors have expressed a desire to belong to WONCA individually, although they were already indirect members through their national college or academy. The category of Direct Membership was created to enable individual family doctors to associate directly with WONCA.
Individual direct membership is open to any health professional who has an interest in family medicine/general practice, who supports the vision, mission and goals WONCA, and who wishes to belong to a worldwide network of family medicine/general practice educators, professionals, caregivers and advocates. In addition to regular news and communications from Wonca,
DMs are entitled to a discount on Wonca conference registration fees. Check following likn for more details –
http://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/AboutWonca/Membership2.aspx
Source www.globalfamilydoctor.com
Disclaimer: The views or policies expressed in this booklet are those of AFPI and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). AFPI functions independently towards development and strengthening of academic family medicine in India.