FROM THE EDITOR: Improving health care through family medicine: Sharing Successes

This October issue of Wonca chronicles the success family medicine has enjoyed throughout the world. This issue features the College of Family Medicine Pakistan celebrates its 30th anniversary as an association in Pakistan as well as an active member of Wonca since the World Organization of Family Doctors was established in 1972. This issue features Wonca Europe's new and contemporary definition of general practice/family medicine. In doing so, Wonca Europe has established a standard for education, practice, research and quality assurance in a specialty that serves as the foundation of effective health systems throughout the European continent. This issue also features articles on the promise of family medicine in Mongolia and in East Africa countries, such as Uganda and Kenya, that increasingly view family medicine as a key strategy to improve their health systems.

This issue showcases the ever increasing array of networking opportunities and educational resources available to family doctors and their associations. Two important Wonca regional conferences --- Middle East South Asia in Sri Lanka and Wonca Europe in Slovenia --- will be held within the next nine months. The 6th World Rural Doctors Conference will be held September 24-27 in Spain. The section on Global Meetings for the Family Doctor lists a variety of other important meetings of interest around the globe. The President's Column and the section, Resources for the Family Doctor, describe global initiatives on asthma and COPD. The Resources section also include a book review on the historic Wonca and WHO publication, Improving Health Systems: The Contribution of Family Medicine, and instructions on how you may obtain a copy. Finally, "What's New in GFD?" updates the reader on the latest news and relevant information available on the Wonca Web at www.GlobalFamilyDoctor.com

We hope that Wonca News offers you a glimpse into the ever expanding global marketplace of relevant ideas, projects and resources to help you as a family doctor improve the health of your patients, families and the public. Please continue to send me news and photos that you would like to with your fellow family doctors and other interested readers. By sharing, we learn from each other, collaborate with each other and help build upon each other's successes.


Marc L. Rivo, M.D., M.P.H.
Editor
Wonca News
marcrivo@aol.com