World Organization of Family Doctors

The World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) is a global not-for-profit professional organization representing family physicians and general practitioners from all regions of the world. WONCA's mission is to improve the quality of life of the peoples of the world through high standards of care in general practice/family medicine.[1]

WONCA is an organization in official collaborative relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) representing family doctors and family medicine.[2]

WONCA was founded in 1972 and now has 118 Member Organisations representing some 500,000 family doctors in over 130 countries and territories around the world. WONCA has seven regions – Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, Iberoamericana-CIMF, North America, and South Asia – each with a Regional President and Regional Council. WONCA supports a number of Working Parties, Special Interest Groups, and Young Doctors Movements. These bodies work to progress specific areas of interest to WONCA and its members around the globe. The groups involve hundreds of family doctors in their activities. Over the years they have carried out groundbreaking studies and research, and have produced many important publications. There are currently 11 Working Parties, including Education, Research, Quality Care, and Classification, and several Special Interest Groups. Young Doctors Movements include "Vasco da Gama" in Europe; "Rajakumar" in Asia Pacific; "Spice Route" in South Asia; "Waynakay" in Iberoamericana; "AfriWON" in Africa; "Al Razi" in Eastern Mediterranean and "Polaris" in North America.

The acronym WONCA is derived from the first five initials of the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians.[3]

The current President of WONCA is Professor Michael Kidd, from Australia.[4] WONCA’s Secretariat, led by the CEO Dr Garth Manning, is based in Bangkok, Thailand.

WONCA International Classification Committee

The WONCA International Classification Committee (WICC) has produced the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC), a clinical coding system for primary healthcare.

See also

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "About WONCA: WONCA in brief". WONCA Global Family Doctor. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Global Health Workforce Alliance: Members & partners: WONCA - World Organization of Family Doctors". World Health Organisation. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Reports from the colleges: WONCA". Mental Health in Family Medicine 6 (6): 57–9. March 2009. PMC 2777587. PMID 22477889. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "About WONCA: The WONCA President". WONCA Global Family Doctor. Retrieved 11 October 2014.

External links