By WVA President Dr John de Jong
The World Medical Association (WMA) held its General Assembly in Porto, Portugal. Beyond members gathering, the new President was inaugurated and multiple policies were approved. WMA is a strengthened organisation more than ever – its visibility, influence, and ability to address even the most complex issues with professionalism and respect are an example to other global associations like the WVA. Beyond policy, the WMA continues to foster friendships and collaboration that transcend borders, continents, and even species, as seen in the recent MoU signed with the WVA.
The Assembly also inaugurated Dr Jacqueline Kitulu (Kenya) as the new President of the WMA. In her inaugural address, Dr Kitulu urged physicians worldwide to unite around key priorities: strengthening inter-regional collaboration, fostering mentorship and leadership development, and advocating for primary healthcare as the cornerstone of equitable health systems. She also called on physicians to remain firm in defending medical neutrality, ethical leadership, and humanitarian values amid global challenges such as workforce migration, climate change, and attacks on healthcare in conflict zones. “History will not judge us by the offices we held, but by the lives we touched and the systems we strengthened,” Dr Kitulu concluded.
WMA members urged governments to be effective in the protection of healthcare personnel and to respect for the principle of medical neutrality which must remain fundamental, even in times of conflict.
The WMA adopted multiple Statements, among which a newly revised Statement on the Scope of Practice, Task Sharing, and Task Shifting, reaffirming that health workforce reforms to promote universal access to care must advance patient access to physicians and physician-led teams, ensuring safety, quality, and ethical standards remain at the core of care delivery.
Read the statement: WMA Statement on Task Sharing and Task Shifting
Looking ahead, the WMA welcomed the election of Jung Yul Park, M.D., Ph.D., as President-elect. Born in Seoul, Korea, Dr Park is Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Korea University, College of Medicine, Anam Hospital, Seoul. Dr Park is expected to continue advancing the WMA’s mission of fostering global collaboration, ethical leadership, and strengthened healthcare systems worldwide.
