WONCA Europe Newsletter
May 2026
Editor’s Preface: Shifting Tides, Digital Horizons, and Stronger Networks ✨
Dear Colleagues,
As we move through May 2026, the primary care landscape across Europe continues to progress with remarkable energy. This month’s newsletter reflects a profound shifting of the tides in global health policy, inspiring network gatherings, and a continuous look toward the digital and educational structures that will define our clinical future. 🌍
Policy Milestones and Structural Integration 📋
Our clinical advocacy and structural foundations reached historic levels this month:
- A Global Transition: We highlight a major milestone at the World Health Assembly, which has formally recognized Steatotic Liver Disease (SLD) as a global non-communicable disease challenge—a decision that places frontline family doctors at the heart of early detection. 📢
- Integrating Oral Health: We feature The Cyprus Declaration on Oral Health in Europe, advocating for the essential integration of oral and general healthcare within primary care frameworks. 🇨🇾
- Clinical Remission Insights: We explore the expanding frontier of chronic care in "Can Lifestyle Change Put Type 2 Diabetes into Remission?", examining structured lifestyle interventions in daily practice. 🍏
Academic Legacies and Future-Proofing Networks 🚀
Education, research, and network collaborations have truly flourished:
- Celebrating Research Excellence: We honor a half-century of academic progress with reflections on the publication marking 50 years of EGPRN, alongside comprehensive highlights from their recent 102nd Meeting. 🏥 🌟
- Educational Milestones: We celebrate the landmark success and subsequent post-conference statement issued from the 4th EURACT Medical Education Conference in Iași, Romania. 🇷🇴 🎓
- Closing the Digital Gap: We tackle the digital frontier in an insightful conversation with Stijn van den Broek on closing the implementation gap to ensure safe and equitable digital family medicine in Europe. 💻 🤖
- Global and Rural Connections: International ties were heavily strengthened as WONCA and TAHEV convened an international joint meeting in Istanbul 🇹🇷, while EURIPA has officially launched the call for applications for its Rural Pre-Forum Exchange Pilot in Cartagena, Spain. 🇪🇸 🪵
Governance, Opportunities, and Growth 🤝
Keeping our internal networks dynamic and transparent remains a priority. This issue includes the official executive summary from the recent WONCA Europe Executive Board online meeting, alongside the latest news, opportunities, and upcoming exchanges from EFYDM. 📈 🌟
We also invite you to read the President’s Corner below inside this issue, where our President, Thomas Frese, shares his brief spring update and reflections on our collective progress. 🌷
📅 Mark Your Calendars: Upcoming Educational Webinars
Continuous medical education remains at the very heart of our mission. Secure your spot for these upcoming sessions:
- 11 June 2026: Lifestyle Medicine as a Clinical Tool for Type 2 Diabetes Remission
- 24 June 2026: Antibiotics in Pregnancy and Lactation
I invite you to explore these updates and keep contributing to your respective networks. Please take a few minutes to participate in the EAACI survey on drug allergy in primary care, and remember to keep updated by visiting our web page and following our social media accounts. 🇪🇺
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On behalf of WONCA Europe Executive Board, Ioanna Tsiligianni, President-elect |
President’s Corner: May 2026 🌷 ✨
Dear Colleagues,
It has been a truly busy spring across our networks—energetic, productive, and inspiring.
Two major highlights stand out from the past few weeks. First, the excellent 102nd EGPRN Spring Conference in Verona, Italy, focused on the vital theme of "Continuity of Care Now."🇮🇹 Celebrating 50 years of research excellence, the event brought together vibrant academic debates and concrete evidence reinforcing that trust and longitudinal patient-doctor relationships remain fundamental to reducing preventable hospital admissions.🧬🏥
Second, the 68th EQuiP Conference in Kraków, Poland, targeted the essential theme: "Strengthening the Heart of Primary Care: Well-being and Resilience in Family Physicians."🇵🇱❤️ In an era of heavy workloads, the practical strategies and structural insights shared in Kraków reminded us that supporting our workforce's well-being is vital for patient safety and continuous quality improvement. My sincere thanks to the organizers, hosts, and participants of both events for their exceptional work.🤝
Meanwhile, final preparations for WONCA Europe Paris 2026 are in full swing! We anticipate a spectacular, diverse program from our Networks, Working Parties, and global partners. Paris 2026 will be a landmark moment for European family medicine—an event not to be missed.🗼🇫🇷
In particular, I would like to invite you all to attend the WONCA Europe Open Meeting 2026: Where is family medicine as a discipline?, taking place on July 2nd, 15:00 – 16:00 in Room 253, Level 2. 🗣️ This interactive Open Meeting aims to present and discuss the future direction of family medicine and general practice across Europe. The WONCA Europe Executive will provide spotlight presentations on strategic priorities and ongoing initiatives across research, education, policy, and early-career development. We invite you to join this open discussion with the Executive Board to help shape the development of family medicine, network with peers, and strengthen collaboration across our European community.🤝
As we count down to July, remember to:
- Secure your spot: Complete your registration and travel plans soon.✈️ 🎟
- Spread the word: Encourage your trainees, young doctors, and teams to join us. 🧑 ⚕ 👥
- Maximize connections: Plan your side-meetings and prepare to share your projects.🌍
Thank you for your dedication to family medicine across Europe. I look forward to connecting with many of you in Paris to shape our shared future together.🇪🇺
With warm regards,
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Warm regards, Thomas Frese |
News
Continuity of Care Now and in the Future. Highlights of the 102nd EGPRN MeetingThe 102nd Meeting of the European General Practice Research Network (EGPRN) took place from 14–17 May 2026 in Verona, Italy. The theme of the meeting, “Continuity of Care Now and in the Future’’,... |
Summary of WONCA Europe Executive Board online meeting 04/05/2026The WONCA Europe Executive Board met online for its regular monthly meeting in May, reviewing ongoing activities and setting priorities for the months ahead. Discussions reflected strong engagement across the networks, with increased... |
EYFDM News and Opportunities 01/06/2026WORLD F... |
EAACI Survey on Drug Allergy in Primary CareDrug allergy remains a complex and sometimes challenging area in everyday primary care practice, particularly for general practitioners and family doctors. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) invites you to take part... |
📝 Post-Conference Statement Issued: The 4th EURACT Medical Education Conference in Iași 🇷🇴Following the resounding success of the 4th EURACT Medical Education Conference held in Iași, Romania (23–25 April 2026), the European Academy of Teachers in General Practice/Family Medicine has officially released its... |
📢 Major Milestone for Primary Care: World Health Assembly Formally Recognizes Steatotic Liver Disease as a Global NCD ChallengeWONCA Europe is pleased to share a historic piece of good news from the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) in Geneva. Delegates have officially approved the landmark resolution recognizing steatotic liver disease (SLD)—formerly referred to... |
🌟 A Landmark Success: The 4th EURACT Medical Education Conference in Iasi 🇷🇴 🎓Following the EURACT Council Meeting on April 22–23, the 4th EURACT Medical Education Conference concluded with record-breaking success in Iasi from April 23–25, 2026. Hosted at the Nicolae Leon Building of the Grigore T. Popa... |
Call for Applications – EURIPA Rural Pre-Forum Exchange Pilot 2026 (Cartagena, Spain)On behalf of EURIPA (European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association), we are pleased to invite applications for the EURIPA Rural Pre-Forum Exchange Pilot 2026, to be held in Spain immediately prior to the EURIPA Forum in... |
The Future of Family Medicine: WONCA and TAHEV Convene International Joint Meeting in IstanbulThe Future of Family Medicine – International Joint Meeting was held on 12 May 2026 at Galatasaray High School in Istanbul, Türkiye, in collaboration between WONCA and the Turkish Family Medicine Foundation... |
Reflections on the Publication of “Celebrating 50 Years of EGPRN – A Legacy of Excellence in General Practice Research”The publication of “Celebrating 50 Years of EGPRN – A Legacy of Excellence in General Practice Research” marks an important milestone for EGPRN and for the wider academic community of family medicine in... |
Closing the Implementation Gap in Safe and Equitable Digital Family Medicine in Europe – A Conversation with Stijn van den Broek 🩺💻We are thrilled to highlight an upcoming workshop at the EQuiP Conference 2026: "From Principles to Practice: Closing the Implementation Gap in Safe and Equitable Digital Family Medicine in Europe." 🇪🇺 We sat down with Stijn van den... |
Can Lifestyle Change Put Type 2 Diabetes into Remission?Can Lifestyle Change Put Type 2 Diabetes into Remission? Practical Insights for Family Physicians Maria, 52, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes two years ago. Her HbA1c was 7.4%, her BMI 33, and she started on metformin. At a... |
The Cyprus Declaration on Oral Health in EuropeKey point 1: A landmark European oral health declaration has launched The Cyprus Declaration on Oral Health in Europe has now been ratified in Athens, marking an important milestone for oral health policy and coordinated action across Europe.... |
IPCRG April 2026 NewsletterPhoto challenge: celebrating 25 years of IPCRG in pictures - submit now! We recently launched the IPCRG 25th anniversary photo challenge, where we... |
Upcoming Events
 WHO Course: Professional Updates on Managing Common Infections in Primary Care - A Focus on Antimicrobial Stewardship 26 May - 5 June 2026, Online |
 13th IPCRG World Conference 11-14 June 2026, Tunis, Tunisia |
 Webinar: Lifestyle Medicine as a Clinical Tool for Type 2 Diabetes Remission 11 June 2026, Virtual |
 Webinar: Antibiotics in Pregnancy and Lactation 24 June 2026, Virtual |
 30th WONCA Europe Conference 30 June - 3 July 2026, Paris, France |
 PCDE 2026 Conference 10-12 September 2026, Istanbul / Türkiye Istanbul Dedeman Hotel |
 35th Janko Kersnik International EURACT Bled Course 23-26 September 2026, Bled, Slovenia |
 15th EURIPA Rural Health Forum 1-3 October 2026, Cartagena, Spain |
 PEACHD Final Dissemination Conference 14-16 October 2026, Prague |
 EURACT Leonardo Level 1 Course for Teachers in Family Medicine 22-24 October 2026, Dubrovnik, Croatia |
 103rd EGPRN Meeting 22-25 October 2026, Santiago de Compostela, Spain |
 Ultrasound in Family Medicine 30-31 October 2026, Billund / Denmark |
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.