The 17th World Rural Health Conference, led by the Rural Health Working Group of WONCA, has endorsed its rural health blueprint, the ‘Bangladesh Declaration 2021’.  

Within the blueprint, the peak organisation representing the world’s family doctors (WONCA) gave special mention to ACRRM’s world-leading curriculum while highlighting the importance of the Rural Generalist model in advancing world rural health. 

The blueprint emphasises the need for rural medical training that is based on programs, such as ACRRM’s, that are set within a rural context and focus specifically on effective rural practice. The blueprint also recommends this training be undertaken at undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels. 

The Declaration also identifies that family medicine for rural health should be aimed at producing Rural Generalists who can provide comprehensive, whole-person and continuous care in rural areas. The Declaration states that this objective should be supported by similar initiatives in rural midwifery, nursing, and allied health professions, while also being applicable in other health professions. 

The 17th World Rural Health Conference was hosted by Primary Care and Rural Health Bangladesh at the Brahmanbaria Medical College (BMC). The conference was also delivered in virtual form over four months, allowing experts from every region to present to international attendees. Over this time, the conference explored how to ensure that high quality health care is delivered to almost half the world’s population living in rural and remote areas. The conference also identified the key practical elements that can provide the short and long-term change required to bring better services to rural people. 

The ‘Bangladesh Declaration 2021’ can be downloaded here.