Speech at WONCA World Council, October 2023, Sydney, Australia
Dear colleague,
I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to share a bit about my journey with the goal to UNITE, CONNECT and ENGAGE.
In 2012, I had the honor of serving as the President of EGPRN, where my passion for advancing research in family medicine flourished. The FREE research course that I led to create, now has over 650 attendees. EGPRN is now a financially stable organization.
I have contributed to many Conferences also including those at Istanbul in 2008 and 2015 which remain the highest attended WONCA conferences in Europe.
My journey within WONCA continued when I joined the WONCA Europe Executive Board in 2010, where I worked tirelessly to foster collaboration and innovation. In 2016, I became the President-elect of WONCA Europe, followed by my role as the President of WONCA Europe working together with Anna Stavdal.
My period as the President of WONCA Europe was an exceptionally challenging period, with the pandemic and crisis management. Despite the unfortunate circumstances I was able to ultimately increase the budget of WONCA Europe to a surplus of 250 thousand Euros.
I am proud to serve as an international co-chair of the Scientific Committee for the 2025 World Conference in Lisbon where the science complements our vision.
My goal is to support and empower family doctors, which I believe is crucial for achieving universal health coverage and ensuring planetary health.
My journey isn't just one of academic and organizational achievements; it's also a testament to my commitment to global healthcare.
My story reminds us that as family doctors, we have the ability to heal, inspire, and transform healthcare on a global scale. Let us reflect on this journey, filled with hope, compassion, and boundless possibilities. May we be inspired by our collective dedication to serve the global family of family doctors.
