The recent WONCA Europe Council meeting was held in Dublin on September 25th, 2024. It was a fruitful meeting with 33 of 42 countries represented.
Reports on network activities showcased advocacy efforts and successful research projects, underscoring the importance of collaboration with partner organizations. The organization is in good financial standing with a surplus reported for 2023.
The new Editor-in-Chief discussed the future direction of the journal amid changes in Impact Factor categories, with suggestions to enhance communication between researchers and colleges and explore fee waivers for submissions from lower-income countries.
The Pharma Sponsoring Committee shared findings from a survey distributed to council members, with 41 out of 50 responding. The results indicated that one-third were fully supported, one-third were partially supported, and one-third opposed any pharma sponsorship.
Support was expressed for a proposal to establish a Regional Equity Committee to address regional equity issues. Concerns were raised regarding the Lifestyle Medicine Special Interest Group, emphasizing the need for clear guidelines and regulations for Special Interest Groups moving forward.
The Council supported the following modifications to the bylaws:
- Updated references to WONCA World Bylaws (Section 3.1.1.1).
- Clarification on audio/video recording of council meetings (Section 16.2).
- Clarification of the role of Special Interest Groups/Working Parties (Article 10).
- Giving a solution for voting rights in the case of two or more full MO from the same country (Section 3.2.1.2)
- However, Proposal 4, emphasizing gender equity in leadership roles, faced opposition regarding membership control. Concerns were raised about practical implementation, leading to its rejection. This issue will be revisited next year.
Bids for the 2027 Conference were presented by Slovenia and Turkey. The conference venue for the WONCA Europe 2027 Conference will be Ljubljana.
The council unanimously supported the establishment of a Special Interest Group focused on the health and well-being of doctors and healthcare professionals.
Following announcements of our awards were made:
- WONCA Europe 5-Star Doctor 2024: Nato Shengelia, Georgia
- Montegut Global Scholar 2024: Gökçe İŞCAN, Turkey
- EJGP Most Valued Paper Award 2023: Francisco Martín-Luján
- WONCA Europe Scholars 2023: Fabian Dupont and Karen Kyne
The next WONCA Europe Council meeting is scheduled for September 17, 2025, in Lisbon.
The meeting concluded with closing remarks, acknowledgments and thanks from President Shlomo Vinker.