The World Organisation of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations (WONCA), the peak international body for family doctors, this month signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the World Health Organization (WHO) to strengthen collaboration between the two organisations.
The MOU is an important recognition of the role of the generalist, primary care doctor in improving world health outcomes. It is hoped that this will facilitate and enable joint-initiatives across the globe to ensure that the voice of the family practitioner can be heard and to take practical steps toward a world in which every single person can achieve access to effective, accessible primary care.
The MOU builds on the Astana Declaration endorsed in October last year as part of ‘The Global Conference on Primary Health Care’ hosted by WHO. Senior ACRRM members including former President, Dr Bruce Chater and Dr Marjad Page attended the conference and were instrumental in particular in ensuring the inclusion in the statement of the specific needs of ‘rural health’.
It is hoped that the MOU will facilitate opportunities in particular for the work of the WONCA Rural Practice Working Party which is an important partner organisation of our College and for which ACRRM members continue to be key contributors.
For more information on the MOU see the WONCA website