CIMF WONCA Iberoamerica Conference Report 2026
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Asunción strengthens international cooperation through Family and Community Medicine
From 22 to 25 July 2026, Asunción became a meeting point for the IX Congress of the Iberoamerican Confederation of Family and Community Medicine and the X Paraguayan Congress of Family and Community Medicine.
The event brought together representatives from 20 countries and included significant participation by professionals from Africa, consolidating a space for scientific, institutional and cultural exchange.
Over four days, specialists, residents, educators, researchers and representatives of scientific organisations shared knowledge, experiences and proposals aimed at strengthening Family and Community Medicine and Primary Health Care.
A Congress for moving forward together
The meeting was held under the theme “Oñondivepa desde la Medicina Familiar: cuidando con equidad a las personas, las comunidades y el planeta” (“Together through Family Medicine: caring equitably for people, communities and the planet”).
The Guaraní word Oñondivepa expresses the idea of being and moving forward together, a principle that reflected the collaborative spirit of the Congress. The theme highlighted that the region’s main health challenges require collective responses, built through cooperation among professionals, communities, academic institutions, scientific societies and international organisations.
The scientific programme was organised around five main areas: equity, social justice and community health; Family and Community Medicine centred on people, families and communities; planetary health and sustainability; innovation, education and digital transformation; and humanism, ethics and the wellbeing of health professionals.
A diverse and plural Iberoamerican community
International participation reaffirmed that the Iberoamerican community extends beyond the exclusively Spanish-speaking world. The inclusion of conferences and content in Portuguese encouraged broader participation and recognised the linguistic, health, academic and cultural diversity of the region.
Dialogue between Iberoamerica and Africa
The presence of professionals from Africa added an intercontinental dimension to the Congress. This engagement opened opportunities to exchange experiences on shared challenges, including inequalities in access to health services, care for rural and vulnerable communities, health workforce development and the strengthening of Primary Health Care.
Asunción thus became a space for building bridges between Iberoamerica and Africa and promoting future initiatives for scientific, academic and institutional cooperation.
Closer engagement with WONCA
The Congress enabled participants to learn more about WONCA, its structure, how it operates and its contribution to the global development of Family and Community Medicine. WONCA’s presence helped bring national, regional and global agendas for the specialty closer together.
As part of this information-sharing, upcoming regional congresses and the future Iberoamerican summit to be held in Spain were promoted. The 26th WONCA World Conference, scheduled to take place from 3 to 7 November 2027 in Cape Town, South Africa, was also presented.
This meeting offers another opportunity to deepen the dialogue between Iberoamerica and Africa and to build on the connections established during the Congress in Asunción.
New generations, science and culture
The programme gave an important place to Waynakay, the Iberoamerican movement of residents and young family doctors, through its VI Meeting of Residents and Young Doctors.
The activities facilitated the exchange of projects, training experiences and new perspectives on the practice of the specialty. They also helped strengthen leadership, research, communication and collaborative working skills among young professionals from different countries.
An experience of international integration
More than a scientific meeting, the Asunción Congress was an experience of international integration. The academic programme was complemented by institutional and cultural activities that provided opportunities to experience the identity and hospitality of Paraguay, strengthen professional relationships and build new networks for collaboration.
The participation of 20 countries, the dialogue between Iberoamerica and Africa, linguistic diversity, the prominent role of young people and the promotion of WONCA’s regional and global initiatives demonstrated the capacity of Family and Community Medicine to bring different generations and realities together around common goals.
A shared vision for the future
The Congress left a central message: the need to continue working in a coordinated way to strengthen education, research, scientific exchange and cooperation between countries.
It also reaffirmed the strategic role of Family and Community Medicine in building health systems that are more equitable, accessible, sustainable and responsive to the needs of the population.
From the heart of South America, Asunción projected a shared vision for the future: an intercultural and innovative Family and Community Medicine committed to the comprehensive care of people, communities and the planet.