An Introduction

The announcement of the WONCA Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) as full WONCA Region during the Cancun Conference was happily awaited. It was the culmination of several years of preparation on the part of its interim executive. The idea to establish a WONCA group solely for the Middle East was introduced by Michael Boland, Bruce Sparks and many others. WONCA EMR came into existence in July 2007, during the WONCA Executive Meeting in Singapore and Professor Nabil Al Kurashi was selected to head the committee to develop the region.

Mission of WONCA East Mediterranean region

Improve the quality of life of the peoples of the East Mediterranean through fostering and maintaining high standards of care in general practice/family medicine by providing a forum for exchange of knowledge and information; encouraging and supporting the development of academic organizations of general practitioners/family physicians; and representing the educational, research and service provision activities of general practitioners/family physicians before other world organizations and forums concerned with health and medical care.

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 global population 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 the exchange of knowledge and information between Member Organizations and between general practitioners/family physicians​
  • 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.