IFMSA attended the EMR 2016 WONCA Conference from 17th until 19th of March in Dubai UAE, represented by Sharif Ba Alawi from Oman, IFMSA General Assistant for the EMR Region, and Omneya Mostafa from Egypt, SCOPH Regional Assistant for the EMR. Both delegates were thriving to learn more about updates in family medicine, NCDs prevention and engage on medical students involvement in these processes.
What is WONCA and WONCA EMR 2016?
Wonca EMR 2016 aims to combine one of the regions prominent exhibitions with an innovative and exciting congress, featuring leading subject matter experts from around the world.
The aim is to deliver more researches, more cases reports, and more in-depth information about the field of Family Medicine. You will have the opportunity to engage with mentors, learn from experts and cultivate your network of colleagues who are dedicated to improving the quality of the people’s life through defining and promoting its values, including respect for universal human rights and including gender equity, and by fostering high standards of care in general practice/family medicine.
What happened during the conference?: Facts and IFMSA Achievements
The unique thing about WONCA EMR is the collaboration with the WHO EMRO. This was the first thing mentioned by Dr. Micheal Kidd, WONCA World President in his speech stressing the importance of family medicine and how WONCA EMR are the best family doctors due to their efforts in countries that are middle and lower income.
Various presentations were given by Doctors from the EMR Region and overseas. There was a focus on patients lifestyles and health literacy in family medicine, and how this affects the medical compliance and the achievement of a better status.
Every patient knows what a healthy lifestyle is. But we are not good motivators. W
e did not learn this.
Dr. Andreas Liebl, Medical Director of FKDB
Moreover, there were presentation updates on Diabetes management, innovations and monitoring patients through a multidisciplinary approach from different country perspectives. The IFMSA delegation engaged with these country representatives to link these initiatives to NMO work.
Moreover, Primary Healthcare access was addressed as a challenge the region is facing in achieving universal health coverage but also access. On the global level 70% have access to some form of primary health care, but only 10-15% of them have much success – Prof Doctor Walid Al Tawil
From the emerging topics tackled, public health experts and doctors delivered presentations on AMR, as the greatest Global Health Concern of the 21st Century. But also on Adolescent Healthcare, Mental Health, Evidence Based Medicine, Healthy Aging and Policies Supporting Family Medicine.
Last but not least, tobacco control was addressed in an extended way during the conference due to the epidemic that is still spreading across the region and the efforts requested to fight it. Clinicians have a professional obligation to address tobacco use and can have an important role in helping patients for their quit attempts.Stressed Doctor Wedad Al Maidoor during her abstract presentation.
Additionally a smoking cessation workshop was organized as well as several oral presentations including the IFMSA presentation Medical Students Involvement in NCD Prevention and Tobacco Control with a focus on several initiatives that IFMSA has accomplished in the EMR region and the challenges ahead of us. This oral presentation was very well received and we are happy to receive the first prize for oral presentations at the conference!
This prize was of great meaning to the youth health movements that are very much appreciated and the encouragements we are having to make our activities grow and have a better impact in the activities we are doing.
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