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Thousands of GPs descended on Sydney Harbour, traveling from far and wide for the start of the long-awaited World Conference.
Fifty years after its birth in Melbourne, WONCA 2023 is finally here.
Over the course of a packed four-day programme, more than 4,000 delegates from around the world will travel to Sydney’s Darling Harbour.
Together, they will attend 850 presentations and 216 concurrent sessions, hosted by more than 700 local and international speakers.
On the subject, ‘Recovery, reconnection and rebirth. A celebration of primary care,“The event returns for the first time in over 20 years and promises to be one of the biggest world GP conferences ever held in Australia.
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said WONCA represents a rare and exciting opportunity for GPs from around the world to meet, connect and network.
“The college will showcase the cutting-edge practices that take place every day right here in Australia,” she said. newsGP.
“We are delighted to welcome hundreds of experts in their fields, who will share their knowledge and ideas, ensuring that general practice is at the center of healthcare reforms across the world.
“Australia, like most other countries, is facing a population increase, an aging population, a labor shortage and an increase in chronic diseases. At WONCA, doctors GPs, family doctors and primary health practitioners will come together to tackle the key health issues facing primary care.’
Following a day of clinical workshops, the conference will be officially launched on Thursday morning by WONCA 2023 World Conference Host Organizing Committee Chair, Assistant Professor Karen Price and RACGP President, Dr Nicole Higgins.
Participants will then be able to choose from 58 different themes, covering a range of issues facing GPs, including mental health, women’s health, climate change, rural practice and chronic diseases.
The first day will feature keynote speeches from Professor Trish Greenhalgh of the University of Oxford on “A Suffering Sector”, and WONCA President Dr Anna Stavdal, who will discuss “Healthcare in period of uncertainty.
The extensive list of conference events also includes four social occasions, a gala dinner, two awards ceremonies, 13 pre-conference workshops, 18 “Meet the Expert” presentations and seven keynote speakers.
But it wasn’t easy getting to the first day of WONCA.
Like thousands of other similar events, it was stopped in its tracks by a global pandemic, delaying the 50th anniversary commemorations of the original 1972 conference by a year.
However, the conference organizers channeled the adaptability of general practitioners and after 12 months of rearranging plans and pushing back schedules, the event is ready to go bigger and better than ever.
Dr Higgins said the 2023 World Conference had been a long time coming and after years of waiting it was exciting to see it finally get underway.
“WONCA is a celebration of primary care as the most visited and consulted healthcare professionals in Australia,” she said.
“The conference will be an opportunity for us to consult with our overseas colleagues and shape the future of medicine, here in Australia and overseas.
“This highlights the vital role GPs play in keeping communities safe and healthy, as doctors on the frontline of medicine.
“GPs deserve a place at every policy table, at every level of government, because our place is at the heart of primary health care.”
Dr. Higgins also reminded attendees to wear green on Saturday, as the conference marks Green Day and calls for climate action across the world.
In addition to clinical and professional presentations, dozens of WONCA exhibitors will take over the International Convention Centerranging from the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, Dementia Support Australia, Doctors for the Environment Australia and Doctors for Nutrition.
Overall, the conference brings together a multitude of global medical leaders, with the WONCA organization now including 111 countries and territories and 500,000 member family doctors.
WONCA 2023 continues until Sunday October 29.
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