World family doctor day held every year on May 19, is a day to highlight the role and contributions of family doctors in health care systems around the world. The comprehensiveness of family medicine makes it the ideal specialty for a career that includes global health. The first World Family Doctor Day was declared by the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) in 2010.
It has gained momentum globally each year, with activities, meetings, and celebrations planned to:
- Bring attention to the contributions of family doctors globally;
- Recognize family doctors;
- Increase the morale of family doctors, and;
- Highlight important issues relating to family doctors and the work they perform in supporting health
- Care for people around the world.
History
The World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA*) will celebrate World Family Doctor Day around the globe on May 19. First declared by WONCA in 2010, World Family Doctor Day is a day to highlight the role and contribution of family physicians in health care systems around the world. Family medicine has long been the preferred model of care outside the United States and is the cornerstone of an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. “Family medicine is comprehensive in its focus on caring for an individual’s health across the life span,” said Julie Wood, MD, AAFP vice president for the health of the public and interprofessional activities. “World Family Doctor Day highlights family medicine for adaptability brings attention to the important work-family physicians do, and encourages medical students to make a contribution to the global community by choosing family medicine as a specialty.
”Multinational employers and insurance companies are realizing more and more the importance of family physicians and their focus on a long-term patient-physician relationship, preventive care, chronic disease management, and care coordination across sub-specialties. WONCA has an impact on the world of family medicine and general practice through its World Council and its seven regional councils. In addition to its governance structure, WONCA has working groups on the classification of problems encountered in general family practice, rural practice, quality assurance, informatics, education, communications and publications, research, health behavior change, tobacco cessation, women and family medicine, mental health and respiratory diseases. Since its inception, many of these groups have carried out groundbreaking studies and research, and have produced a variety of important publications.
The Ministry says it has an additional impetus as it coincides with the challenges posed by the outbreak of the disease. In this respect, the Ministry adds, ” UAE has been at the forefront of the countries worldwide, thanks to the rapid response of its government system response by harnessing all logistical and human resources. Also, the efforts of the health authorities and sectors have been obvious, while family doctors teamed up with their fellows on the frontline of defense to provide the necessary health care.” Dr. Hussein Abdel Rahman Al-Rand, Under-Secretary of the Ministry’s Health Assistant Sector, Health Centres and Clinics, pointed out that family medicine is one of the international quality standards, through which the cultural and health level of countries is measured and assessed, thanks to its pivotal role in health care systems around the world.
He commended the efforts of family doctors on the frontline of defense to fight COVID-19 and to provide the necessary health care, which contributed to the increased recovery rates. Al-Rand added, ” Although the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Prevention are focused on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic as a national health priority, it did not overlook the development of the operational plans to ensure the continuity of its various health services without interruption. One of the key services provided is the family doctor one, due to its pivotal role in preventive and curative healthcare and as a central point in the health system. “Dr. Aisha Suhail, Director of the Primary Health Care Department, said, \”Family doctors are the mainstay of holistic and patient-centred health care to achieve the goal of universal health coverage. Since the beginning of this year, the key role of family doctors in managing the COVID-19 pandemic has become more apparent, as the frontline of defense and providing effective health care to the community. “She added, “While the world is facing the challenges posed by COVID-19 in health, social, and economic fields, the contributions of family doctors were impactful on managing the health situation. “Suhail thanked family doctors for their dedication, commitment, courage, and relentless efforts in maintaining people’s health and saving patients’ lives, wishing them and the medical cadres good health and speedy recovery for patients.
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