WONCA Europe Newsletter
March 2025
Editor's Preface
We are excited to bring you the March edition of our newsletter.
You may find out about our Networks’, SIGs’, Working Parties’ and Organisations in Collaboration’ activities, including an interview with EYFDM’s President, an interview with 100th EGPRN meeting’s chair Hans, EYFDM’s News and Opportunities!, EURIPA’s Spring 2025 Edition of The Grapevine, WE Advocacy Update, IPCRG’s newsletter and WHO/EU Evidence into Action Alcohol (EVID-ACTION) project’s newsletter.
In addition, we feature an article about The Need for Family Medicine to Be Recognized as a Specialty in the EU.
Furthermore, WONCA Lisbon 2025 conference abstract submission deadline is coming (March 31th). Be sure to submit yours in time. Do not miss our interview with its Scientific Committee co-chair professor Mehmet Ungan.
Moreover, WONCA and the very active Social Prescribing (SP) and Community Orientation WONCA Europe SIG are launching a survey on SP in the European Primary Care context. Please fill in the survey and have your say.
Additionally, WONCA Europe is proud to endorse Gender-Neutral HPV Vaccination, in collaboration with Global Action for Men’s Health and NOMAN is an Island: Race to End HPV.
If you missed our recent engaging Webinars “Enhancing Obesity Care (EASO & WONCA Europe Webinar for Family Doctors and Primary Care Physicians)” and “Practical application of Lifestyle Medicine and Social Prescribing in daily clinical practice”, they are still available in our webpage
Please keep updated visiting our web page and follow us on our X (@WoncaEurope), Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky accounts.
On behalf of WONCA Europe Executive Board
Thomas Frese, President-elect
Jose M Bueno, EQuiP Member-at-large
WONCA Europe Newsletter Editors
President’s Corner
Dear Colleagues,
We are accelerating our preparations for the upcoming Lisbon conference in September 2025. We receive hundreds of abstracts and eagerly anticipate an engaging, fascinating, and innovative WONCA World conference.
I would like to call you to share and distribute our newsletter to your colleagues in any way you see fit. This will encourage more family doctors across Europe to be involved with our extensive and diverse activities aimed at advancing and professionalizing family medicine in Europe.
Sincerely,
Prof. Shlomo Vinker
President of WONCA Europe
News
An interview with Prof Mehmet Ungan, 25th WONCA Conference Scientific Committee co-chairWe are honoured to welcome distinguished keynote speakers who are leaders in global health, primary care innovation, primary care workforce, quadruple aim and health system transformation This conference is a unique opportunity for... |
The Need for Family Medicine to Be Recognized as a Specialty in the EUFamily medicine plays a critical role in healthcare systems across Europe, providing comprehensive, patient-centered care essential to community well-being. However, despite its importance, family medicine is still not recognized as... |
WONCA Europe Endorses Gender-Neutral HPV VaccinationAt WONCA Europe, we strongly support the implementation of gender-neutral Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs. As a leading organization representing family doctors across Europe, we recognize the vital role of comprehensive... |
EURIPA Launches Spring 2025 Edition of The GrapevineThe European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association (EURIPA), a key network of WONCA Europe, has released the first edition of The Grapevine for 2025. This engaging issue offers rich insight into the challenges and innovations shaping rural... |
EU Health Leaders and Family Doctors Urge Action on Workforce & DigitalizationOn March 18th 2025, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Romana Jerković invited family doctors to a meeting at the EU Parliament, organized by the European Union of General Practitioners/Family Physicians (UEMO) President Tiago... |
“Our aim is to foster connections between young FDs whilst also promoting FM”. An interview with Daria Gheorghe, EYFDM’s PresidentThere is an overall feeling of friendliness and peer-support at our events that participants appreciate and which leaves them feeling even more motivated about our lovely specialty We wish for as many of... |
An interview with prof. Hans Thulesius, 100th EGPRN Conference chair. “Telehealth: Its Benefits, Quality, and Safety"Telehealth is an evolving reality in modern primary care, and this conference will critically explore its role, limitations, and opportunities. A highlight is the Blue Dot Coffee session on the first day, where newcomers are... |
WE at the Social Prescribing-Europe (SP-EU) Project meeting, 19-21/03/2025 in BerlinFrom 19 to 21 March 2025, WONCA Europe participated in the SP-EU Project 1st General Assembly meeting which took place at the Auditorium at the Charité Cross Over, University of Medicine in Berlin, Germany, and was attended by Dr.... |
WHO/EU Evidence into Action Alcohol (EVID-ACTION) project newsletter Vol. 6 - February 2025The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe has released the sixth edition of the EVID-ACTION Newsletter, sharing updates on critical developments in alcohol control policies across the region.... |
EYFDM News and Opportunities! 20/03/2025JOIN THE EXECUTIVE - APPLY FOR... |
WONCA Europe Advocacy Update: Key events & Upcoming deadlines 03/2025đź”™ Previous Events & Highlights 1. Universal Health Coverage Session – WHO Video Recording WONCA made a statement during the Universal Health Coverage... |
WE at the POINT Project Meeting, 11th-13th/03/2025 in AthensFrom 11 to 13 March 2025, WONCA Europe participated in the POINT Project Meeting #POINT_health which took place at the General University Hospital “Attikon” in Athens, Greece, and was attended by members of the WONCA Europe Executive... |
WONCA and the Social Prescribing (SP) and Community Orientation WONCA Europe SIG are launching a survey on SP in the European Primary Care context.The purpose of the survey is to map the understanding and usage of social prescribing in Europe. Both organizations are involved in an Erasmus Plus research programme called... |
Webinar: Applying Lifestyle Medicine at primary care clinicOn March 6th, the Lifestyle Medicine and Social Prescribing SIGs held a joint webinar on the practical application of Lifestyle Medicine and Social Prescribing in daily clinical... |
IPCRG February 2025 Newsletter is out!Brasov 2025: accreditation, travel, Spirometry Simplified & Implementation Science research school There is still time to register for our 8th... |
Upcoming Events
 8th IPCRG Scientific Meeting 11-12 April 2025, Brașov, Romania |
 EGPRN Online Workshop: How to give an oral presentation 15 April 2025, Virtual |
 9th EYFDM Forum 2025 25-27 April 2025, Grande Région |
 EURACT Snowball Symposium: "Non violent communication" 29 April 2025, Virtual |
 66th EQuiP Conference 8-10 May 2025, Linz, Austria |
 100th EGPRN Meeting 8-11 May 2025, Gothenburg, Sweden |
 Cardiometabolic, Renal, Liver, and Obesity Conference (CaReMeLO 2025) 30-31 May 2025, Crowne Plaza Warsaw, Poland |
 IX. Conference of the Association of General Practice/Family Medicine South East Europe (AGPFMSEE) 5-8 June 2025, Ljubljana, Slovenia |
 14th EURIPA Rural Health Forum 26-28 June 2025, Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany |
 WONCA World Conference 2025 17-21 September 2025, Lisbon, Portugal |
You may send your events and news articles directly to our website by logging into your Wonca Europe account. Please send other materials, such as interesting stories and reflections, to SecretariatEurope@wonca.net for our upcoming editions. We ask you to send the newsletter to all your colleagues and to share it on your website / Facebook / Twitter homepage.