World Family Doctor Day
Next: May 19, 2027
For the doctor who knows your story.
The story
Where it comes from
World Family Doctor Day was declared in 2010 by WONCA, the World Organization of Family Doctors, and first celebrated in 2011. WONCA was founded in 1972 by colleges and academies of general practice and family medicine from 18 countries. Its council was inaugurated that year at a world conference in Melbourne, where the first president, Australia's Monty Kent-Hughes, said that 'the future of our professional discipline will depend on our ability to work together in the service of humanity'. Today it speaks for about half a million family doctors.
How it's celebrated
Each year WONCA chooses a theme and shares a toolkit of posters, key messages and suggested activities, and its member organisations hold events, webinars and campaigns about family medicine and primary care. For patients it is a good day to thank the doctor you see for coughs, check-ups and everything in between, and who may know three generations of your family.
Did you know
- The name WONCA comes from its long founding title: the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians.
- Malaysia's Dr M.K. Rajakumar was WONCA's president from 1986 to 1989, and Hong Kong has given it two presidents, Dr Peter Lee and Dr Donald Li.
- WONCA's member organisations span 111 countries and territories in seven world regions.
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