World Family Doctor Day 2021 Report
World Family Doctor Day (FDD) – 19th May - was first declared by WONCA in 2010 and it has become a day to highlight the role and contribution of family doctors and primary care teams in healthcare systems around the world.
Every year, this celebration is the perfect opportunity to acknowledge the central role of Family Doctors in the delivery of personal, comprehensive and continuing health care for all patients. It’s also a chance to celebrate the progress being made in family medicine and the special contributions of primary care teams globally.
Our 2021 theme was Building the Future with Family Doctors, aligned with the Year of the Health and Care Workers 2021 declared by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The 2021 Campaign
For more than a decade, we have been witnessing all the celebrations, events and activities that our colleagues around the world have shared on collaborations, reports and photographs from many countries. All of them represent an essential part of the history and memory of the WONCA family, shown in multiple editions of our WONCA News.
We officially launched the #WorldFamilyDoctorDay 2021 campaign on the 19 April, 2021, with the announcement of the theme Building the Future with Family Doctors. We also released two videos: one with a message from WONCA President, Dr Donald Li, and a second one with an interview from WONCA President-Elect, Dr Anna Stavdal. Both videos highlighted the crucial role of Family Doctors and Primary Care teams in building a better and healthier future!
The Four Pillars
This year’s theme was based on four fundamental pillars with key elements to move forward and overcome the challenges towards a better future.
Building the Future with Family Doctors and Primary Care Teams – We wish to highlight that family doctors working together with multidisciplinary teams of health and care professionals are key to strengthening health systems and delivering high quality and affordable care to all.
Building the Future with Family Doctors and Patients – Family Doctors adopt a people-centred approach, provide ongoing support to patients and communities, and ensure continuity of care over lifetime. Patients are at the centre of this celebration.
Building the Future with Family Doctors and new technologies – Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, new technologies have emerged as fundamental tools for healthcare professionals to continue their mission.
Building the Future with Family Doctors and YOU! – What are the building blocks that YOU consider key for the future? Get involved, raise your voice, share your activities and efforts, and contribute to building the future with family doctors!
The pillars were available in 4 languages: English, Spanish, French, and Chinese.
Español Français 中文
The Media Kit
To help tailor every communication and simplify all the advocacy efforts, in this 2021 edition we created a Media Kit with all the campaign elements. The graphic identity and messages of the “Building the Future with Family Doctors” campaign were present on the 19th of May worldwide, in multiple languages and creative formats!
Joining Hands for WFDD 2021
We invited everyone to join our campaign "Building the Future With Family Doctors" by posting pictures with a hand sign representing care and protection. The hand sign simulated building a house, a roof, a home, our future!
The gesture was widely shared by thousands of people on social media. Doctors, primary care teams, colleagues, patients, and members of the WONCA family, joined our campaign by joining hands!
The impact was such that the hand gesture became an emblem of our 2021 campaign. Hopefully, we continue using it in the coming years.
WFDD2021 Around the World
WONCA Africa
Member Organisations from the African region shared with WONCA the efforts and activities on the occasion of World Family Doctor Day 2021.
One of them was the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), which celebrated with a virtual Zoom webinar with a good number of attendees and members across all geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
According to Dr Oluwaseun Olusola, AGPMPN- WONCA Liaison Officer, the webinar was anchored by Secretary-General of AGPMPN, Dr Ned Okoro. It also had the participation of the AGPMPN President, Amb. Dr Iyke Odo, who extended their congratulations to the WONCA President, Dr Donald Li and his team; WONCA Africa President, Prof Shabir Moosa, the members of the Executive Committee, and all family doctors at large. Continue reading more about this activity
here.
The Society of Family Physician of Nigeria (Cross-State Chapter) celebrated with a radio broadcast in two stations (Cross River Broadcasting Corporation and Sparkling FM) creating awareness on Building the Future with Family Doctors and emphasising the four pillars. The transmissions were followed by a hybrid conference (virtual and physical) with five speakers who gave an overview of the four pillars of Primary Care. Dr Archibong Felix wrote that the "conference was well attended, and five credits on continuous development points were awarded to participants".
For their part, the Association of Family Physicians of Uganda celebrated WFDD on 14th May 2021, with a one-day symposium that aimed to share experiences and activities to design a strategy to highlight family practice in Uganda. General Secretary, Innocent Besigye, mentioned that they also awarded senior Family Doctors for their distinguished contribution to Family Practice in Uganda.
WONCA Asia Pacific
Member Organisations from the Asia Pacific region shared with WONCA the efforts and activities on the occasion of World Family Doctor Day 2021.
The Hong Kong College of Family Physicians celebrated World Family Doctor Day 2021 with a
short video to recognise the outstanding contributions of Family Doctors in Hong Kong in the combat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia (AFPM), the Malaysian Family Medicine Specialists Association (FMSA), the Rajakumar Movement (TRM) and the Organizing Committee of WFDD 2021 Malaysia shared a detailed report of their multiple activities for this important celebration, including weekly virtual educational and social programs, a Public Forum
Who are Family Doctors? Family Doctors role in the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 Vaccine, a continuous professional development webinar on non-communicable diseases, a motivational video, a virtual WFDD run, musical performances, and many other activities! Discover their full report
here.
From their part, the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners started World Family Doctor Day with a 5 am breakfast email and video to all their members from College President, Dr Sam Murton. They also shared videos on social media from well-known New Zealanders, such as
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and
Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield. The footage was reshared many more times, making special mention of the doctors in their whanau, extending the message of gratitude to their teams.
The Philippine Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) - Tacloban City Chapter, celebrated WFDD2021 with the Tree Planting activity, also related to their campaign “60 Trees for PAFP’s 60th”, with the collaboration of their local chapter members and the chairman of the Environmental Protection Committee, Lory L. Ruetas, who also wrote:
because of Covid19 lockdown, we could not plant the trees together in one location, but we encouraged people to plant at least two fruit trees in their backyard, garden, farm or any area before 19 May 2021.
WONCA East Mediterranean
Member Organisations from the East Mediterranean region shared with WONCA the efforts and activities for WFDD2021.
WHO Regional Director for Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, sent WONCA President, Dr Donald Li a message on the occasion of World Family Doctor Day. You can read the message from Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari
here. On his part, WONCA President Dr Donald Li answered with an
appreciation note in which he highlighted the crucial role of family doctors and primary care teams and the perfect opportunity that the World Family Doctor Day represents to importance of health for all.
The Egyptian family Medicine Association designed a poster for family physicians and primary health care providers, while working wearing the personal protective equipment. The image, based on the pillar of Building the Future with Family Doctors and Primary Care Teams, aimed to thank these professionals for their efforts. Under the pillar of Building the future with family doctor and you!, the EFMA conducted a virtual zoom to discuss the merits and demerits of COVID-19 Vaccination, a fruitful discussion with attendees from Lebanon, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt. Watch the session
here.
On their end, the Jordan society of Family Medicine (JSFM) celebrated WFDD with a presentation by JSFM Deputy President, Dr Oraib Alsmadi, on the role of Family Physicians during COVID 19 pandemic, and the building capacity of family physicians during the pandemic. Members of Jordan AlRazi YDD movement participated on this virtual discussion.
WONCA Europe
Member Organisations from the European region shared with WONCA the efforts and activities on the occasion of World Family Doctor Day 2021.
The Greek College of General Practitioners (GCGP) celebrated with Facebook and Instagram posts, a video and a newspaper article about the essential role of about the role of Family Doctors and interdisciplinary teams.
The Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (Sociedad Española de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, semFYC) joined World Family Doctor Day through a one-year campaign to respond to their local needs with the theme
Here, There and Everywhere - #EnTodasPartes.
Their campaign consisted of communication materials and tailored messages, including three promotional videos, a
media kit and a
press release.
The videos present three different approaches:
1.
Family Medicine as a global specialty.
2.
Family Medicine, with primary care teams worldwide.
3. and
Family Medicine and technologies to maintain contact with patients remotely.
The Portuguese Association of General and Family Medicine (APMGF) was heavily invested, during World Family Doctor Day (WFDD) 2021, in creating public awareness about the importance of family doctors for the strengthening of health services and systems and for the well-being of citizens, especially during a pandemic. This was mainly done through press releases for mainstream and specialized media outlets. Elected officials of the National Board of APMGF were interviewed by TV news services and newspaper journalists regarding this subject. The APMGF also organised the National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Young Doctors between May 19 and 21, to further bolster the landmark celebration. Discover more about their activities
here.
In Romania, the National Center for Studies in Family Medicine (CNSMF) used their official website and social media to post WFDD messages in Romanian. They also created a video and share it with their colleagues at the Business Association of Family Doctors, FNPMF. The Romanian Minister of Health, Dr Ioana Mihăilă, also recorded a video message for WFDD to thank family doctors, with key messages that included "Building the future with family doctors".
On their part, the Turkish Association of Family Physicians (TAHUD) celebrated World Family Doctor Day, alongside a national festival called “Youth And Sports Day”, a special day dedicated to youth and sports set by Ataturk, the founder of Republic of Turkey. Inspired by this, and the WONCA 5-star family physician competition, TAHUD selects a 5 Star Family Physician Resident since 2018. This year the winner was Muzaffer Oncu Donmez. They also celebrated with virtual meetings, poster competitions, karaoke and many activities more! Discover more
here.
WONCA Iberoamericana – CIMF
Member Organisations from the Iberoamerican region shared with WONCA the efforts and activities on the occasion of World Family Doctor Day 2021.
On May 19, the Chilean Society of Family Medicine (Sociedad Chilena de Medicina Familiar - SOCHIMEF) launched the Book "Applied Bioethics in Primary Care", authored by Dr Carmen Nadal, partner of SOCHIMEF. The celebration featured Dr Paula Daza (Subsecretary of the Chilean Ministry of Health), Dr Mario Cruz Peñate (WHO/PAHO representative in Chile), Dr Rodolfo Armas (President of the Chilean Academy of Medicine) and Dr Jacqueline Ponzo. (President of the Ibero-American Confederation of Family Medicine). Read more about their activities
here.
Members of the Colombian Society of Family Medicine (Sociedad Colombiana de Medicina Familiar – SOCMEF) joined our campaign with various images through social media, as well as family doctors in Costa Rica, like Dr Marina Alemenas, the Vice-president Mexican Federation of Specialists and Residents in Family Medicine (Federación Mexicana de Especialistas y Residentes en MF), Dr Gad Gamed Zavala Cruz and members of the CIMF (Confederación Iberoamericana de Medicina Familiar - Ibero-American Confederation of Family Medicine).
The Venezuelan Society of Family Medicine (Sociedad Venezolana De Medicina Familiar – SOVEMEFA) organised a “conversatorium”, a discussion session related to the four pillars of Building the Future with Family Doctors. Read all the details here (Spanish).
On their end, the Paraguayan Society of Family Medicine (Sociedad Paraguaya de Medicina Familiar) carried out multiple activities during the Family Doctor Week, from videos regarding the importance of the family doctor to a message from the Dean of the National University, and multiple communication efforts from the teaching assistants and all the community.
WONCA North America
On the occasion of World Family Doctor Day, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
created a video and shared it on their social medial channels, along with three different Facebook posts where the video was embedded.
WONCA Regional President for North America, Dr Marvin Reid also shares the activities and efforts from Jamaica, where a
special supplement on World Family Doctor Day was published.
WONCA South Asia
Member Organisations from the South Asia region shared with WONCA the efforts and activities on the occasion of World Family Doctor Day 2021.
The Bangladesh Academy of Family Physicians (BAFP) and the Bangladesh Institute of Family Medicine and Research (BIFMR) celebrated ‘World Family Doctors Day on 28 May 2021 in two phases. According to Prof. Kanu Bala, the first phase involved a lecture session by Prof. Md. Mushtuq Husain, a renowned Epidemiologist of Bangladesh. During a session presided by Prof. Md. Falahuzzaman Khan, Prof. Md. Mushtuq Husain on COVID-19 Situation. The second phase included discussions with Prof. Kanu Bala, Prof. Md. Nurul Islam and Dr Md. Kabir Ahmed Khan regarding the importance of the World Family Doctor Day. This session was presided by Prof. Firoz Ahmed and coordinated by Dr Amir Ali Gazi.
Meanwhile, the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka held a Webinar was held on 16 May 2021, focusing on home management of Covid patients - "Sharing the Caring of COVID19 Patients at home”. The webinar panellists were from local South Asian contexts. This virtual event was well-received, with around 500 participants from both Sri Lanka and other countries.
Despite not being member organization of WONCA, we appreciate the participation of Praava Health, who celebrated WFDD2021 con webinar series, talk panels and on-line live discussions.
We also thank Naga Vamshidhar Ratakonda, from Bengaluru Area, India, for the Poem, Family Doctor:
Wholistic Health,
Forever a Factor;
Family Doctor, A
Need of the Hour;
To Answer the call,
At Any Hour!
Beyond Matters
Of Health, A Friend in
Many Quarters,
Personal & Private;
Attachment of,
Long-term History;
Appointment Hassle,
Not an Issue AtAll!
Bee-Line Lengths,
Happily Surpassed;
Awaiting Hours,
Bypassed in Seconds;
Treatments Done,
At Special Discounts,
With Quick Attention!
Sweet Casual Talk,
An Early Head Start;
Casuality Ward, Not on
Prescription Platter!
Engage In Occassions,
Emergencies Cared;
Relationship in Vogue,
Diseases don't Provoke!
Find for All in Family,
Fond of All in Family,
Bond with All in Family,
Family Doctor Smiley,
Favourite of All Happily!
WONCA Young Doctors Movements
Our Young Doctors Movements joined the World Family Doctor Day Campaign with multiple messages and creative formats.
For example, representatives of these movements created a joined TikTok . Watch the full video
here.
Waynakay Ecuador shared messages regarding WFDD2021 on social media and sent a special communication in collaboration between Ecuador-Mexico-Colombia to a digital newspaper regarding the importance of Family Medicine during the pandemic and formal academic processes.
The Spice Route Movement of South Asia celebrated by launching their official website (http://woncaspiceroute.org) on the 19th of May 2021, with the patronage of WONCA South Asia Regional President D Raman Kumar.
On their end, members of the Vasco da Gama Movement joined hands and shared their pictures on social media. They also created a collages with different images from their members.
WFDD 2021 in Social Media
THANK YOU!
We want to thank you all for being a part of the World Family Doctor Day 2021. It was not possible to include the countless expressions of support to all the Family Doctors and Primary Care teams around the world in one single edition!
Thank you very much for your images, collages, photos, videos, reports, messages. Your efforts are golden and always greatly appreciated!
Despite the adverse circumstances, the 2021 edition of World Family Doctor Day was one to remember. But this is not about one day. We will continue spreading the word. It’s necessary to support Primary Care and support health workforce to build a healthier future for all!