WELCOME MESSAGES

We look forward to welcoming you in Cape Town for the WONCA World Conference in 2027. This is the first time in 25 years that the conference has been held in Africa, and we hope that you will take the opportunity to visit and engage.

The theme of the conference is “The roles of the family doctor in the primary health care team”. This is an issue across the world as we develop appropriate multidisciplinary teams to deliver high quality primary care in different contexts. Regardless of the context the family doctor will always be a key member of the team, but their roles may differ in emphasis and substance, and teams may differ in composition. Our core values however remain the same – to offer accessible, person-centred, high quality, continuous, coordinated and comprehensive care.

We hope that this conference will enable you to engage with the latest issues, research and innovations in our discipline. Artificial intelligence and digital technology are already transforming our roles and teams. COVID-19 has shown us the importance of integrating primary care and public health functions, what we call community-orientated primary care in Africa. Creating safe and supportive workplaces for patients and staff is also a priority and teamwork, organisational culture, and leadership are all important to create systems that enable wellbeing. Resilience is emerging as a key attribute of primary care facilities and services that needs attention in a world challenged by climate change, pandemics and austerity. These are just a few of the issues we hope to discuss and engage with.

We trust that as you attend this conference you will also develop new professional and clinical skills and build new relationships and collaborations as you engage with global colleagues. We particularly hope that this conference will give an opportunity for many family doctors from Africa to meet their global community – and for you to meet us!

Time Out Magazine says that “Cape Town has been crowned the Best City in the World for 2025, a recognition that reflects the city’s exceptional quality of life and vibrant community spirit. The city’s unique blend of natural beauty and urban charm, along with its rich history and cultural offerings, has made it a standout choice for travellers and residents alike. Cape Town’s high ratings in food, nightlife, culture, affordability, and overall vibe have solidified its position as a top destination”

We hope to see you in Cape Town in November 2027.

Prof Bob Mash

Chair Host Organising Committee
President of WONCA Africa

The South African Academy of Family Physicians proudly hosts the 26^th WONCA World Conference in Cape Town in 2027, November 3-7. Our conference theme of “The roles of the family doctor in the primary health care team” presents the opportunity for us, as a global family medicine community, to engage extensively on all elements of this theme.

The first element deals with the multiple roles that family physicians play within broader health systems, which includes healthcare services and systems outside of formal healthcare, such as the communities we serve. When considering this concept, we look forward to invigorating presentations and discussions about how these roles influence the identity of family physicians.

The concept of identity presents multiple opportunities for research, in terms of interprofessional education and practice, the contexts in which we work, and the educational activities that guide this professional development, among others.

Over the five days, as we engage deeply with our own identity in relation to our patients, our communities, and the other professionals with whom we share patients, we ask colleagues to bring their own thoughts and experiences to bear. There is no doubt that at the level of clinical practice the incorporation of multi-disciplinary teams improves the experiences of patients and practitioners, but do they also improve clinical outcomes?

The contexts in which we work play a significant role in determining the roles that we adopt as family physicians. What are the similarities and areas of divergence globally across our diverse contexts? There are huge challenges before us, as we see health budgets shrinking, populations ageing, co-morbidities exploding, an ever-growing mental health crisis, and the realities of war and climate change affecting the health of our societies. These are only some of the issues that we could consider as we explore how context influences the practice of family medicine.

Evolving identities, contexts and the shifting demands that an ever-changing world brings, moves us towards innovations in educational activities that are responsive to these realities. We look forward to hearing how family medicine educators have positioned themselves, globally and locally, as socially accountable and innovative visionaries who see their work as a means to impacting the future of family medicine.

This is only a small snapshot of the topics that we hope to see in posters, oral presentations, workshops, symposia, panel discussions and keynote addresses at WONCA World Conference 2027. When we view this against the magnificent backdrop of the iconic and beautiful Cape Town culture and landscape, we are confident that this will be experienced and remembered as one of the best WONCA conferences.

Tasleem Ras

Co-chair Scientific Committee

We look forward to welcoming you in Cape Town for the WONCA World Conference in 2027. This is the first time in 25 years that the conference has been held in Africa, and we hope that you will take the opportunity to visit and engage.

The theme of the conference is “the roles of the family doctor in the primary health care team”. This is an issue across the world as we develop appropriate multidisciplinary teams to deliver high quality primary care in different contexts. Regardless of the context the family doctor will always be a key member of the team, but their roles may differ in emphasis and substance, and teams may differ in composition. Our core values however remain the same – to offer accessible, person-centred, high quality, continuous, coordinated and comprehensive care.

We hope that this conference will enable you to engage with the latest issues, research and innovations in our discipline. Artificial intelligence and digital technology are already transforming our roles and teams. COVID-19 has shown us the importance of integrating primary care and public health functions, what we call community-orientated primary care in Africa. Creating safe and supportive workplaces for patients and staff is also a priority and teamwork, organisational culture, and leadership are all important to create systems that enable wellbeing. Resilience is emerging as a key attribute of primary care facilities and services that needs attention in a world challenged by climate change, pandemics and austerity. These are just a few of the issues we hope to discuss and engage with.

We trust that as you attend this conference you will also develop new professional and clinical skills and build new relationships and collaborations as you engage with global colleagues. We particularly hope that this conference will give an opportunity for many family doctors from Africa to meet their global community – and for you to meet us!

Time Out Magazine says that “Cape Town has been crowned the Best City in the World for 2025, a recognition that reflects the city’s exceptional quality of life and vibrant community spirit. The city’s unique blend of natural beauty and urban charm, along with its rich history and cultural offerings, has made it a standout choice for travellers and residents alike. Cape Town’s high ratings in food, nightlife, culture, affordability, and overall vibe have solidified its position as a top destination”

We hope to see you in Cape Town in November 2027.

Prof Bob Mash

Chair Host Organising Committee
President of WONCA Africa

The South African Academy of Family Physicians proudly hosts the 26^th WONCA World Conference in Cape Town in 2027, November 3-7. Our conference theme of “The roles of Family Physicians in the primary healthcare team” presents the opportunity for us, as a global family medicine community, to engage extensively on all elements of this theme.

The first element deals with the multiple roles that family physicians play within broader health systems, which includes healthcare services and systems outside of formal healthcare, such as the communities we serve. When considering this concept, we look forward to invigorating presentations and discussions about how these roles influence the identity of family physicians.

The concept of identity presents multiple opportunities for research, in terms of interprofessional education and practice, the contexts in which we work, and the educational activities that guide this professional development, among others.

Over the five days, as we engage deeply with our own identity in relation to our patients, our communities, and the other professionals with whom we share patients, we ask colleagues to bring their own thoughts and experiences to bear. There is no doubt that at the level of clinical practice the incorporation of multi-disciplinary teams improves the experiences of patients and practitioners, but do they also improve clinical outcomes?

The contexts in which we work play a significant role in determining the roles that we adopt as family physicians. What are the similarities and areas of divergence globally across our diverse contexts? There are huge challenges before us, as we see health budgets shrinking, populations ageing, co-morbidities exploding, an ever-growing mental health crisis, and the realities of war and climate change affecting the health of our societies. These are only some of the issues that we could consider as we explore how context influences the practice of family medicine.

Evolving identities, contexts and the shifting demands that an ever-changing world brings, moves us towards innovations in educational activities that are responsive to these realities. We look forward to hearing how family medicine educators have positioned themselves, globally and locally, as socially accountable and innovative visionaries who see their work as a means to impacting the future of family medicine.

This is only a small snapshot of the topics that we hope to see in posters, oral presentations, workshops, symposia, panel discussions and keynote addresses at WONCA World Conference 2027. When we view this against the magnificent backdrop of the iconic and beautiful Cape Town culture and landscape, we are confident that this will be experienced and remembered as one of the best WONCA conferences.