AfriWon

AfriWon

AfriWon Renaissance is the Young Doctors' Movement of WONCA Africa, connecting, empowering and amplifying young family doctors across Africa. As the Young Doctors' Movement of WONCA Africa, we connect, mentor and equip young family physicians to lead in research, education, advocacy, and the transformation of primary health care across the continent.

Founded in 2013, AfriWon Renaissance brings together family medicine trainees, residents, registrars, young family physicians and early-career doctors from across the continent. Inspired by the spirit of renewal and growth, the movement empowers the next generation of African family medicine leaders through research, education, mentorship, advocacy, professional exchange and collaboration. By connecting young family doctors, AfriWon Renaissance strengthens leadership, advances primary health care, and amplifies the voice and visibility of young African family physicians within WONCA Africa, WONCA World, and the wider global primary health care community.

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Convenor / Chair

Dr. Ibrahim Banaru Abubakar (Nigeria)

Dr. Ibrahim Banaru Abubakar is a Consultant Family Physician and Clinical Governance Expert at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria, providing first-contact, longitudinal, and person-centered care. A Fellow of the West African College of Physicians in Family Medicine, he holds specialist expertise in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), with an MPhil focused on policy research and advocacy. He also holds advanced degrees in Health Economics, Medical Leadership, and Reproductive Health, which he applies to advance health equity, social protection, and sustainable development.

Dr. Banaru has played a key role in Nigeria’s health policy, serving as Technical Assistant for the Nigeria Medium-Term National Development Plan and Nigeria Agenda 2050, and currently as Technical Anchor for Health Policy at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), leading workshops and policy initiatives to advance universal health coverage. Globally, he is a member of the WHO Expert Group on SRHR and Universal Health Coverage, providing evidence-informed guidance to strengthen health systems.

Within WONCA, he has held multiple leadership roles in AfriWon, including Nigeria Country Representative, Deputy Secretary, Secretary, and now Chair (2025–2027), also serving on the WONCA Africa Region Executive Committee. He is active in the Lifestyle Medicine Special Interest Group and the Working Parties on Ethics, Professionalism, and Ageing.

Nationally, Dr. Banaru chairs the Kaduna Chapter of the Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria and the Northwest Zone in the National Executive Council. He is recognized for mentorship, public speaking, and capacity-building, advancing equitable, inclusive, and youth-driven healthcare across Africa.

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Co-Convenor or other office bearers

  • Deputy Chairperson 1: Dr. Wongani Kumwenda (Malawi)
  • Deputy Chairperson 2: Dr. Akosua Nfodwaa Opoku Asare (Ghana)
  • Secretary: Dr. Mbaseege Anna Kabona (Uganda) Email the AfriWon Secretariat
  • Deputy Secretary: Dr. Sentebaleng Elizabeth Seitshiro (South Africa)
  • Treasurer: Dr. Mandisa Tenego (Botswana)
  • Deputy Treasurer: Dr. Nana Akua Abruquah (Ghana)

Theme Group Leads

  • Research and Clinical Audit Lead: Dr. Nantale Atangwa Peace (Uganda)
  • Education and Training Lead: Dr. Yaone Bogatsu (Botswana)
  • Rural Practice Lead: Dr. Susan Miako (Kenya)
  • Exchange Lead: Dr. Brenda Maingi (Kenya)
  • Image and Communications Lead: Dr. Thando Agape Dube (Zambia)
  • Beyond AfriWon Lead: Dr. Daniel Machuor Arok (South Sudan)

Country Representatives

  • Kenya: Dr. Susan Cheruiyot
  • Liberia: Dr. Ibrahim Sanoe
  • Nigeria: Dr. Dele Abdullahi
  • South Africa: Dr. Simon Mashudu Marcus
  • Zambia: Dr. Kuku Kapenda Kapasu
  • Ghana: Dr. Bernice Enyonam Akpaloo

Past Leaderships of AfriWon

  • 2023 - 2025
    Chair: Dr. Mercy Nafula Wanjala (Kenya)
    Secretary: Dr. Ibrahim Banaru Abubakar (Nigeria)
  • 2021 - 2023
    Chair: Dr. Ettang Enwongo (South Africa)
    Secretary: Dr. Nana Affare (Ghana)
  • 2018 - 2021
    Chair: Dr. Nana Kwame Ayisi-Boateng (Ghana)
    Secretary: Dr. Moyosore Makinde (Nigeria)
  • 2016 - 2018
    Chair: Dr. Joy Mugambi (Kenya)
    Secretary: Dr. Nana Kwame Ayisi-Boateng (Ghana)
  • 2013 - 2016
    Chair: Dr. Kayode Alao (Nigeria)
    Secretary: Dr. Aramide Oteju (Nigeria)

Membership Open?

Yes! Membership is open to young and early-career family doctors across the WONCA Africa region.

Who can join

  • Family medicine trainees and residents
  • Family physicians within five years of qualification
  • General practitioners and medical officers within eight years of medical school graduation

What members do

Members are encouraged to:

  • Join one or more theme groups
  • Participate in research collaborations
  • Attend webinars and educational events
  • Present at conferences
  • Mentor and be mentored
  • Lead advocacy initiatives
  • Contribute to newsletters and communications
  • Represent AfriWon in their countries
  • Build the future of family medicine in Africa

Get involved

Become part of a continental community of young and early-career family doctors committed to transforming family medicine and primary health care across Africa. Members can:

  • Join a theme group
  • Collaborate on research and projects
  • Develop leadership skills
  • Expand their professional network
  • Make a lasting impact across Africa

Complete the AfriWon Renaissance membership form to join. For any queries, email [email protected].

Together, we are inspiring leadership, advancing family medicine, and transforming primary health care across Africa.

Vision and Mission

Our Aim

To empower young African family doctors through leadership, collaboration, mentorship and innovation to strengthen family medicine and primary health care across Africa.

Our Vision

To be Africa's leading movement of young family doctors advancing family medicine, primary health care, and health equity through leadership, innovation and collaboration.

Our Mission

To connect, empower and amplify young African family doctors through mentorship, education, research, advocacy, leadership development, professional exchange and strategic partnerships that strengthen primary health care across Africa.

Our Core Pillars

Youth Leadership

We nurture the next generation of African family medicine leaders by creating opportunities for leadership development, mentorship, involvement in decision-making, and active participation within WONCA and the wider health community.

Collaboration

We connect young family doctors across Africa to foster peer learning, multicountry research, professional networking, knowledge exchange, and collective action to address shared health challenges.

Education, Research and Innovation

We strengthen family medicine through continuing professional development, research mentorship, scholarly collaboration, evidence generation, and innovation that improves patient care and health systems.

Advocacy and Representation

We champion the voices of young African family doctors by promoting their participation in regional and global platforms, strengthening their influence on policy, and advancing family medicine and primary health care across Africa.

Community Impact

We empower young family doctors to drive equitable, community-oriented primary health care through rural health engagement, universal health coverage, health equity, and resilient health systems.

Looking Ahead

AfriWon Renaissance aims to become Africa's leading network of young and early-career family doctors by:

  • Expanding research collaborations across Africa
  • Strengthening education, mentorship and leadership development
  • Establishing structured academic, conference and clinical exchange programmes
  • Supporting rural and underserved practice
  • Amplifying the voices of young family doctors
  • Advancing advocacy and policy engagement
  • Building partnerships that strengthen family medicine, primary health care, health equity and resilient health systems across Africa

Together, we are shaping the future of family medicine, one leader, one collaboration and one community at a time.

Objectives

AfriWon Renaissance seeks to:

  • Connect and empower family medicine trainees, residents, registrars, young family physicians and early-career general practitioners and family physicians across Africa through networking, mentorship, leadership development and professional collaboration.
  • Advance family medicine and primary health care by promoting education, research, service, advocacy, evidence-based practice and community-oriented primary care that strengthen resilient and equitable health systems.
  • Foster collaboration and innovation by facilitating cross-country research, education, professional exchange, communication and partnerships that address shared healthcare challenges across Africa.
  • Champion the voice of young African family doctors by identifying and addressing their professional needs, aspirations and concerns while promoting African perspectives on family medicine, universal health coverage, and health systems strengthening.
  • Increase regional and global visibility by strengthening the representation and active participation of young African family doctors within WONCA Africa, WONCA World, the Young Doctors' Movement, and other regional and international platforms.

Activities

Our Theme Groups

AfriWon Renaissance delivers its work through six theme groups, providing opportunities for young and early-career family doctors across Africa to learn, lead, collaborate, innovate and make a lasting impact. Whether your interest is research, education, advocacy, rural health, communications or international collaboration, there is a place for you.

AfriWon Research Theme Group (RTG)

Advancing research and innovation in family medicine and primary health care across Africa.

  • Collaborative and multicountry research
  • Monthly AfriWon Research Theme Group meetings, last Sunday of the month, 5.00pm UTC
  • Scientific writing and publication
  • Research mentorship
  • Conference abstracts and presentations

AfriWon Education Theme Group (ETG)

Building knowledge, skills and professional excellence for young family doctors.

  • Webinars and masterclasses
  • Continuing professional development
  • Clinical learning
  • Monthly MCQs for trainees
  • Leadership development
  • Teaching support
  • Peer learning and case discussions

AfriWon Image and Communications Theme Group (ICTG)

Connecting members and amplifying the voice of African family medicine.

  • Website, social media and digital platforms
  • Branding and communications
  • Newsletters and storytelling
  • Member spotlights
  • Event promotion
  • Visibility of young African family doctors

AfriWon Rural Practice Theme Group (RPTG)

Championing family medicine in rural, remote and underserved communities.

  • Rural health advocacy
  • Community-oriented primary health care
  • Community outreach
  • Rural health innovation
  • Health equity
  • Support for rural practitioners

AfriWon Exchange Theme Group (ExTG)

Promoting professional exchange, mobility and collaboration across Africa.

  • Conference exchanges
  • Academic and clinical exchanges
  • Learning visits
  • Cross-country networking
  • South-South collaboration
  • Intra-African professional mobility

AfriWon Beyond AfriWon Theme Group (BATG)

Expanding partnerships, advocacy, leadership and global engagement.

  • Family medicine advocacy
  • Regional and global partnerships
  • Leadership development
  • Policy engagement
  • Representation on international platforms
  • Collaboration with WONCA and Young Doctors' networks

AfriWon Research Collaborative (ARC)

The AfriWon Research Collaborative is AfriWon Renaissance's flagship research mentorship programme. Through a structured six-month mentorship cycle, ARC equips emerging researchers with practical skills in research design, protocol development, scientific writing, publication and conference presentation, while fostering multicountry collaboration and evidence generation in family medicine and primary health care across Africa.

What We Do

Through our theme groups, AfriWon Renaissance:

  • Advances research and innovation
  • Delivers education and continuing professional development
  • Supports trainees through monthly MCQs and examination preparation
  • Fosters mentorship and career development
  • Develops future leaders and advocates
  • Strengthens rural, community-oriented primary health care and health equity across Africa
  • Promotes professional exchange and networking
  • Enhances communication and member engagement
  • Supports scientific conferences and academic collaboration
  • Champions action on non-communicable diseases, planetary health and health equity
  • Amplifies the voice, representation and visibility of young African family doctors

Strategic Priorities 2025 to 2027

Guided by our vision of empowering the next generation of African family doctors, AfriWon Renaissance will focus on the following strategic priorities over the next two years.

1. Membership growth and country engagement

Expand AfriWon Renaissance membership across Africa while strengthening country representation and national AfriWon structures.

  • Continental membership recruitment campaign
  • Establish AfriWon country chapters and country representatives
  • Orientation programme for new members
  • Annual "Meet AfriWon" virtual sessions
  • Member directory and networking platform
  • Recognition awards for outstanding country engagement

2. Leadership development and mentorship

Develop future leaders in family medicine through structured mentorship and leadership opportunities.

  • AfriWon Leadership Academy
  • Emerging Leaders Programme
  • Peer mentorship and mentor to mentee matching
  • Leadership masterclasses
  • Leadership opportunities within theme groups
  • Women in Family Medicine leadership conversations

3. Education and professional development

Promote lifelong learning and excellence in family medicine.

  • Monthly educational webinars
  • Clinical case discussions
  • Journal clubs
  • Monthly MCQs for trainees
  • Examination preparation sessions
  • Research methodology workshops
  • Conference presentation skills workshops
  • Grant writing workshops

4. Research, innovation and quality improvement

Strengthen research capacity and evidence generation among young African family doctors.

  • Expand the AfriWon Research Collaborative
  • Multicountry collaborative research
  • Research mentorship programme
  • Annual research symposium
  • Scientific writing retreats
  • Quality improvement collaborative projects
  • Research seed grants, subject to funding
  • Publication mentorship

5. Advocacy and global engagement

Strengthen the voice of young African family doctors in policy, leadership and global health.

  • World Family Doctor Day campaigns
  • World Rural Health Day activities
  • World Mental Health Day campaigns
  • Universal health coverage advocacy
  • Planetary health initiatives
  • Representation at WONCA regional and global meetings
  • Policy dialogue with ministries of health
  • Advocacy toolkits for members

6. Communication, visibility and digital engagement

Increase the visibility and impact of AfriWon Renaissance across Africa.

  • Quarterly AfriWon newsletter
  • Member Spotlight series
  • Meet the Executive Committee campaign
  • Meet the Family Physician series
  • "Day in the Life" social media reels
  • Podcast or webinar series
  • Conference countdown campaigns
  • Website development
  • Digital storytelling and success stories

7. Rural health and community impact

Support young family doctors serving rural and underserved communities.

  • Rural health webinars
  • Community outreach programmes
  • Rural innovation showcase
  • Rural mentorship network
  • Rural electives and learning visits
  • Community-oriented primary health care projects

8. Exchange and professional mobility

Promote collaboration and learning through regional and international exchanges.

  • Conference scholarship programme
  • Clinical observership exchanges
  • Academic exchange programme
  • Cross-country virtual learning visits
  • South-South collaboration initiatives
  • Family medicine trainee and early-career doctor exchange opportunities

9. Partnerships and resource mobilisation

Build strategic partnerships to support sustainable growth and impact.

  • Collaborate with WONCA Africa and WONCA World
  • Strengthen partnerships with universities and training institutions
  • Engage ministries of health
  • Develop relationships with NGOs and international partners
  • Fundraising campaigns
  • Grant applications
  • Corporate sponsorship opportunities
  • Alumni engagement programme

Key Achievements and Ongoing Initiatives

Pre-conference engagement

AfriWon Renaissance has organised young doctors' pre-conference events and networking sessions, creating opportunities for learning, mentorship, collaboration and professional connections among young family doctors across Africa.

Research collaboration

Through the AfriWon Research Theme Group and the AfriWon Research Collaborative, we continue to foster research mentorship, multicountry collaborations, scientific writing, publications, conference presentations and evidence generation to strengthen family medicine across the continent.

Education and professional development

The AfriWon Education Theme Group promotes lifelong learning through webinars, masterclasses, continuing professional development, clinical education, peer learning, and monthly MCQs designed to support trainee and early-career family physicians.

Communication and visibility

Our Image and Communications Theme Group strengthens AfriWon Renaissance's visibility through branding, newsletters, website development, social media engagement, member spotlights, storytelling, and promotion of AfriWon activities.

Rural health engagement

The Rural Practice Theme Group supports young family doctors serving rural, remote and underserved communities by promoting rural health advocacy, community-oriented primary care, health equity, innovation and community outreach.

Exchange and professional mobility

The Exchange Theme Group is laying the foundation for structured conference, academic and clinical exchange opportunities across Africa, promoting South-South collaboration and strengthening professional networks among young family doctors.

Partnerships, advocacy and global engagement

The Beyond AfriWon Theme Group expands strategic partnerships, strengthens advocacy efforts, promotes leadership development, influences policy, and enhances AfriWon's representation on regional and global platforms.

Reports

Relevant Resources