Newsletter: June 2012

A long career as a professional soldier had taught him much about storytelling and stout drink, both of which he shared liberally. Sipping baijiu from a small ceramic cup, the old man recounted his grim ntroduction to the military as a teenager in the infantry during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

一个职业军人的漫长生涯教会他如何讲故事，如何喝烈性酒，这两者他都不吝惜与人分享。他一边从一个小的陶瓷杯里面呡着白酒，一边如数家珍地讲述了他当年二战抗日战争时期做为步兵小鬼的故事。他的任务就是将北平从日军手中解放出来。在接下来的一个小时内，他回顾了70年间他亲眼见证重大历史事件，世界大战变成美苏冷战，然后是文化大革命，天安门广场示威游行，再之后经济形势日新月异，和接下来的北京奥运会。

The 19th WONCA Asia-Pacific Regional Conference was held from 24–27 May, 2012, at the International Conference Center in the scenic island of Jeju, South Korea.

A recently published PhD dissertation from Icelandic general practitioner Hálfdán Pétursson may provide some answers to the long time conflict between general practitioners and cardiovascular specialists, on risk factor thresholds for primary cardiovascular prevention.

The Junior Researcher Award aims to promote a generation of junior GP/FM doctors who include research skills with patient care as a life time career. This award honours outstanding research proposals from trainees or junior GPs/ family physicians with up to five years working experience after graduation.

Professor Michael Kidd, WONCA President Elect and chair of the Nominating and Awards Committee has made the call to WONCA Member Organizations to make nominations for the various WONCA awards to be presented at the world conference, being held in Prague, in 2013. The awards are: • WONCA Fellowship • WONCA Honorary Direct Life membership • WONCA Foundation Award and • WONCA 5 Star Doctor Award

May 19 is the date for World Family Doctor Day. This year was the second time that this day has been celebrated

The meeting, held May 7 and 8, brought together members of the CARMEN (Set of Actions for the Multisectoral Reduction of Non-communicable Diseases) network to discuss how to transform the declaration signed at last year's United Nations High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases into policies, programs, and concrete actions.

Expertos de la región acuerdan acciones ultisectoriales para combatir enfermedades no transmisibles

A summary of WONCA's Working Party on Research activities in the past year.

For the third time, the Lyn Clearihan Award for the best research paper published in the journal in the preceding twelve months has been awarded. This year the winner is Dr Mora Claramita.

A recently published PhD dissertation from Icelandic general practitioner Hálfdán Pétursson may provide some answers to the long time conflict between general practitioners and cardiovascular specialists, on risk factor thresholds for primary cardiovascular prevention.

The Junior Researcher Award aims to promote a generation of junior GP/FM doctors who include research skills with patient care as a life time career. This award honours outstanding research proposals from trainees or junior GPs/ family physicians with up to five years working experience after graduation.

WONCA Europe is proud to announce Dr Miguel Román, of Spain as the winner of the WONCA Europe Award of Excellence in Health Care: The 5-Star Doctor 2012.

WONCA Asia Pacific region council has announced the final list of bursary recipients who will have been aided to attend the region conference in Jeju, in May.

The International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) 6th world conference, was held in Edinburgh, April 2012. The conference attracted over 1000 delegates from 40 countries.

The workshop of the Giotto Movement was held in Bologna on April 21, 2012. During the first session, the Giotto Movement; WONCA and its Networks and Working Groups; the Vasco da Gama Movement and its history in Italy and in Europe were presented. Various ‘exchanges’ (The Hippocrates Exchange, RCGP/AiT, LOVAH/WES and SoMaMFyC) were also presented and participants shared their experiences.

The first issue of the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care (JFMPC) covering January - June 2012, Vol 1 Issue 1, is published. JFMPC is the official publication of the Academy of Family Physicians of India (AFPI). Dr Raman Kumar, president AFPI is also the chief editor of the JFMPC.

The College of Family Medicine in Pakistan, has arranged lectures by Dr David M Chaput De Saintonge and Dr Andrew Roger Charley from the UK Prime Organisation, for our trainee MRCGP (Int) South Asia participants. Prof Waris Qidwai and Dr Marie Andreadis of the Aga Khan University (AKU) arranged a program on the subject of Whole Person Medicine, which was highlighted by both the speakers and appreciated very much by the participants.

Family doctors in Ghana celebrated World Family Doctor Day with a publication in a leading newspaper which gives all of us some interesting background to family medicine in Ghana.

The biggest gathering of family doctors was held at Najmuddin Auditorium, in Karachi and the chief guest speaker was the Honorable Sardar Muhammad Yasin Malik, chairman of Hilton Pharma (Pvt.) Ltd. Also speaking was Dr Aziz Khan Tank, Secretary General, of the College of Family Medicine Pakistan. Their speeches are featured here.