International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

April, 2023

March 21 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It commemorates the 1960 Sharpville massacre in South Africa. Observed annually, it reminds us of the sacrifices made by our forbears and those fighting within hostile institutions and systems to dismantle and eradicate racism.

Today, it’s also a call to action to increase our efforts to fight racism. As the World Organization of Family Doctors, the world’s frontline primary care institution, we are committed to racial equity and the liberation of racialised people.

We challenge our colleagues, allies and our institutions to be bold in their commitments and move beyond tokenism. Let’s continue to assess our policies practices and particularly our individual biases.

Let’s use our power, influence and privilege to accelerate change and to continue to challenge the status quo.

Read or Download the statement as a PDF document here.