Ukrainian Family Doctors at the 29th WONCA Europe Conference 2024

Ukrainian family doctors participated in one of the most prestigious international conferences in the field of primary healthcare – the 29th WONCA Europe Conference 2024, held this year in Ireland. This event brings together leading experts, providing an opportunity to share experiences, discuss current challenges, and explore global trends in family medicine development.

This year, seven Ukrainian doctors were selected to attend the conference, supported by the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Medical Education Development.”

Why Does This Matter?

The presence of Ukrainian specialists at such events is not just an opportunity to gain new knowledge but also a chance to showcase the efforts of the Ukrainian healthcare system under the challenging conditions of war, dispel myths, and foster collaboration with international colleagues.

According to the participants, many challenges in family medicine are common across countries:

• Insufficient funding for primary care;

• Overburdened doctors;

• Low engagement of specialists in the development of medical information systems.

At the same time, attending the conference enhanced their understanding of how to advance Ukrainian healthcare:

• Anastasiia Briukhanova highlighted the broader vaccination schedules used abroad.

• Anastasiia Hibeskul plans to share an analysis of postgraduate education for family doctors in different countries.

• Kateryna Pochtar emphasized the active involvement of nurses in primary care and the expansion of their roles.

• Ihor Zastavnyi shared insights on how Irish colleagues work with Ukrainian patients, noting the remarkable patience of Ukrainian specialists.

What’s Next?

We are preparing an online event where WONCA 2024 participants will share their observations, insights, favorite quotes from conference speeches, and their experiences visiting Irish primary healthcare clinics.

Stay tuned for our announcements, and don’t miss the chance to learn more about this incredible experience!