Help family doctors get to Cape Town

The South African Academy of Family Physicians (SAAFP), host of the WONCA World Conference 2027, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help family doctors from low- and middle-income countries, and young family doctors from anywhere in the world, attend the conference in Cape Town from 3 to 7 November 2027.

The campaign was launched on 3 November 2026, one year before the opening ceremony, by Prof Bob Mash, Convenor of the conference and President of WONCA Africa. It aims to raise at least ZAR 1 million (about US$60,000) to support 20 to 30 family doctors who could not otherwise attend. A sub-committee of the Host Organising Committee will award the bursaries based on financial need and the value of attending for the individual and their country.

The cost of getting there

This is the first World Conference in Africa in 25 years, but holding it on the continent does not make it affordable for African family doctors. Travel within Africa is expensive, often as expensive as flying in from Europe, and many of our African colleagues will find it very difficult to fund their attendance. Family doctors in low- and middle-income countries in South America and Asia, and young doctors everywhere, face the same barriers. WONCA recently surveyed its community on travel equity, because who can afford to travel shapes whose voices are heard at our meetings.

In much of Africa, family medicine is still growing. WONCA has members in only eight of the region's 48 countries, and Prof Mash has challenged African family doctors to create the evidence of what they contribute to their health systems. Young doctors, including those in the AfriWON Research Group, are doing that work. Cape Town should be a place where they can share it with colleagues from around the world.

Supporting the fund

WONCA represents about 500,000 family doctors through its Member Organizations. If each gave one dollar, the campaign would far exceed its target. Every gift, large or small, helps.

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