WONCA Europe Newsletter
September 2025
Editor's Preface
We are delighted to share the September edition of the WONCA Europe Newsletter with you.
This issue provides a comprehensive look at the activities of our Networks, Special Interest Groups (SIGs), Working Party, and Organisations in Collaboration, with a special focus on their engagement and contributions during the recent WONCA Conference 2025.
Inside, you'll find a summary of the WONCA Europe Council meeting held just before the WONCA World Conference '25, which saw new Executive Board (EB) members formally take office.
As always, we include a report on the latest WONCA Europe (WE) Executive Board's activities, featuring highlights from our monthly meeting and the important joint sessions held with our Networks, SIGs, and Working Party during the World Conference.
In addition, we strongly encourage you to read the crucial press release, "6% Alcohol is Not 'Low-Alcohol': EU Policy Risks Misleading Consumers and Undermining Health." This release comes from the European Alcohol Health Alliance of Medical Associations to Address Alcohol-Related Harm (EAHA), of which WONCA Europe is a participating member, and addresses a significant public health issue.
We extend our sincere thanks to Shlomo Vinker for his dedicated work and service to WONCA Europe as the outgoing President. This edition includes his thoughtful farewell interview and his final 'President's Corner.'
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
Ioanna Tsiliglianni, President-elect
Jose M Bueno, EQuiP Member-at-large
WONCA Europe Newsletter Editors
President’s Corner
Dear colleagues,
This is my last column as President of WONCA Europe, and I am writing it after having already passed the chain of office to my friend, Professor Thomas Frese.
I look back with pride and satisfaction on six years of service as President-Elect and then as President of WONCA Europe during a challenging period. I also reflect on my years as the European representative to WONCA World.
This is the time to thank Barbara, our secretary, and all the Executive Board members who worked with me, shoulder to shoulder, during these years. I am grateful for the extensive activities we undertook together at WONCA Europe, to advance family medicine in Europe and we positioned WONCA as the voice of family doctors in scientific and professional bodies across the continent.
We have just returned from the WONCA conference, where, for the first time, WONCA Europe, in collaboration with the Portuguese Association of General and Family Medicine, co-hosted the WONCA World Conference. I had the honour of serving as one of the chairs of the Host Organising Committee (HOC), and this is also the time to thank the other conference chairs and the members of the organising and scientific committees who ultimately brought us a fantastic event. With over 4,500 participants in the main conference, the young doctors' conference, and all associated activities, it became one of our largest conferences in recent years.
It was a culminating moment, during which I was also privileged to receive the prestigious WONCA Fellowship award, in recognition of my many years of contribution to the advancement of family medicine and the promotion of WONCA in Europe and around the world.
In the coming year, I will support Prof. Frese and the Executive Board as Immediate Past President, and I will continue to contribute to the advancement of family medicine.
Yours in friendship,
Prof. Shlomo Vinker
Immediate Past President of WONCA Europe
News
Summary of the WONCA Europe Council Meeting 2025The WONCA Europe Council met on 17 September 2025 at the Lisboa Congress Centre, before the opening of the 25th WONCA World Conference. While marking the organization’s 30th anniversary, delegates from the WONCA Europe Member... |
The EJGP Best Paper Award of 2024We are happy to announce the winner of the award for the best paper published in the European Journal of General Practice in 2024. Articles eligible were original papers, i.e., research articles and systematic reviews. This resulted in 45 out of... |
Phishing email scams that seem to be coming from WONCA Europe PresidentIt has come to our attention that some scammers are sending out emails that appear to be coming from the WONCA Europe President and supposedly asking for assistance. It seems that the attackers are trying to use the well formed bond between our... |
IPCRG September 2025 newsletterTunis 11-14 June 2026: get ready to register and submit your abstracts Get ready - registration and abstract submission for the 13th IPCRG World... |
WONCA Europe Executive Board Meets with European Young Family Doctors Movement (EYFDM)On September 20, 2025, during the WONCA World (WW) Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, the WONCA Europe (WE) Executive Board met with representatives from the European Young Family Doctors Movement (EYFDM) to discuss and strengthen ongoing... |
WONCA Europe Executive Board Meets with its Special Interest Groups (SIGs)The WONCA Europe (WE) Executive Board met with representatives from its active Special Interest Groups on September 19, 2025, during the 25th WONCA World Conference in Lisbon (Portugal). This important meeting served to discuss ongoing... |
WONCA Europe Executive Board Meets with its Networks in LisbonThe WONCA Europe (WE) Executive Board met with representatives from its six vibrant networks to discuss and strengthen ongoing collaboration. This crucial meeting brought together leaders from: European General Practice... |
WONCA Europe: Elevating Family Medicine Through EU ResearchLisbon, Portugal – The WONCA World Conference 2025 featured a high-impact session dedicated to WONCA Europe's booming engagement in EU-funded interdisciplinary research projects. WONCA Europe, once an occasional partner, has... |
Family-Friendly WONCA: Reflections on Childcare Services at the WONCA World ConferenceWONCA Europe is delighted to share the reflections of Bianca de Sá e Silva, Coordinator at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Family Medicine and Primary Health Care and PhD researcher at Ghent University, on the introduction of childcare... |
BCLEAR project kicks off to advance bladder cancer literacy in EuropeOn September 16, 2025, partners from across Europe gathered for the official kick-off meeting of the BCLEAR project: Bladder Cancer Literacy for All: Advancing Knowledge and Care in Europe. This event was kindly hosted by the Hungarian... |
'Future-proofing family medicine”. Young Doctors’ Movements Pre-Conference. Lisbon,By Dr Charlotte Morris, EYFDM Liaison Officer to the WONCA Europe Executive Board. The Young Doctors’ Movement (YDM) preconference at WONCA World Lisbon 2025 was a vibrant and impactful gathering, setting an inspiring tone for the... |
WE President's speech at the WWConference 2025 closing ceremonyHonoured Presidents, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear colleagues, friends, and members of the global WONCA community, As we reach the closing moments of this inspiring WONCA World Congress here in beautiful Lisbon, I want to begin by... |
Shlomo Vinker Reflects on His PresidencyDuring the WONCA World Conference, Prof. Shlomo Vinker concluded his term as President of WONCA Europe and officially handed over the role to Prof. Thomas Frese. On this occasion, he shared his reflections in a farewell interview — looking... |
EYFDM News and Opportunities! - SeptemberNEWS FROM THE EYFDM COUNCIL... |
6% Alcohol is Not “Low-Alcohol”: EU Policy Risks Misleading Consumers and Undermining HealthThe EU is on the brink of authorising wines with up to 6% alcohol by volume to be labelled as “low-alcohol.” The European Health Alliance on Alcohol (EHAA) – representing more than 1.7 million medical professionals and... |
WONCA Europe Advocacy Special Issue: WONCA WORLD CONFERENCE 2025... |
WE condolences regarding the tragic funicular accident in LisbonAs we look forward to gathering for the WONCA World Conference in Lisbon in a few days, WONCA Europe Executive Board would like to express their heartfelt condolences to the Portuguese Association of General Practice and Family Medicine... |
Summary of the WONCA Europe Executive Board Meeting 01/09/2025The Executive Board extended condolences to Zalika Klemenc Ketis on her husband’s passing and appreciated her continued contributions. The President reported ongoing project applications, submitted financial reports, and participation in... |
WHO/EU Evidence into Action Alcohol (EVID-ACTION) project newsletter September 2025The WHO/EU Evidence into Action Alcohol (EVID-ACTION) project is entering its fourth year in October 2025, marking significant progress in advancing alcohol policy across Europe. The initiative focuses on translating scientific evidence into... |
The six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine: Multilingual FlyersLifestyle medicine is an evidence-based, rapidly growing, and innovative field that offers a powerful solution to today's health challenges. It's a far-reaching approach focused on supporting lasting behavior change through the six... |
Q&A: Advocacy for the Recognition of Family Medicine in the EU1. What is the goal of this initiative? The initiative seeks to achieve two main objectives: Official recognition of Family Medicine as a specialty at the European level. Development of a common European curriculum to ensure... |
WONCA Europe Advocacy Newsletter: August 2025... |
"Challenges in Primary Mental Health Care: Models for Interdisciplinary Collaboration" Book LaunchThe WONCA Working party on Mental Health is pleased to announce that the book " CHALLENGES IN PRIMARY MENTAL HEALTH CARE: Models for Interdisciplinary Collaboration " will be launched at the WONCA World Conference in... |
Upcoming Events
 UNLOKall Webinar - Obesity management is a long journey - chances and challenges 8 October 2025, |
 EUROPREV webinar: Colorectal cancer screening & prevention 15 October 2025, Virtual |
 101st EGPRN Meeting 16-19 October 2025, Plovdiv, Bulgaria |
 7th EURACT Assessment Course for Trainers in Family Medicine, Thessaloniki / Greece 5-7 November 2025, |
 67th EQuiP Assembly Meeting 21-22 November 2025, Utrecht, The Netherlands |
 3rd CaReMeLO Conference 16-18 January 2026, New Delhi, India |
 10th EYFDM Forum 2026 30-31 January 2026, Tallinn, Estonia |
 2026 European Forum on Prevention and Primary Care 26-27 March 2026, Madrid, Spain |
 4th EURACT Medical Education Conference 23-25 April 2026, Iasi, Romania |
 68th EQuiP Conference 21-23 May 2026, Kraków, Poland |
 30th WONCA Europe Conference 30 June - 3 July 2026, Paris, France |
 15h EURIPA Rural Health Forum 1-3 October 2026, Cartagena, Spain |
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.