An international association of family doctors whose
conference led to a string of initiatives to improve healthcare in rural areas
has won $20,000 for its efforts.
WONCA (the World Organization of Family Doctors) scooped the
2025 Incredible Impacts Award, presented during the 64th ICCA Congress in
Porto, Portugal.
The award – run by ICCA and BestCities Global Alliance - celebrates
meetings that create long-term beneficial outcomes for their host communities
and industries.
WONCA was recognised for its 2022 World Rural Health
Conference, held in Limerick, Ireland, which addressed rural healthcare
challenges and built a shared vision for equitable access.
Amongst other things the conference:
- Progressed the agenda of the “No Doctor No
Village” grassroots community campaign, started in response to the impact of
the global financial crisis on rural healthcare.
- Published the “Limerick Declaration on Rural
Healthcare”, a blueprint for improving high-quality healthcare in rural and
remote areas.
- Established Ireland’s first ICGP National
Standing Committee for Rural General Practice.
- Appointed the first Professor of Rural General
Practice at the University of Limerick, cementing rural health as an academic
priority.
- Introduced a Rural GP Fellowship Programme,
backed by a €1.8 million investment from Ireland’s Health Service Executive
(HSE).
- Created a Rural Ambassador Programme, providing
scholarships to doctors from lower-income countries.
- Hosted the WHO global meeting on developing a
Rural Health Equity toolkit – setting the stage for systemic change worldwide.
Professor Liam Glynn, conference ambassador and Professor of
General Practice at the University of Limerick, said: "We are delighted to
accept the Incredible Impacts Award, but really is a story of a fantastic
collaboration between Fáilte Ireland, UL Events, the WONCA Working Party on
Rural Practice, RIDDI, the ICGP, the University in Limerick and rural GPs and
communities themselves in making Rural WONCA 2022 such an impactful conference
with an outstanding social legacy which continues to this day in transforming
rural healthcare."
Video courtesy of The Iceberg.
Senthil Gopinath, ICCA CEO, said: “The Incredible
Impacts Award continues to highlight how international association meetings can
inspire real, measurable change. WONCA has demonstrated outstanding creativity
and purpose in connecting people, knowledge, and community impact. We are
honoured to celebrate their achievement at our Congress in Porto.”
Loren Christie, managing director, BestCities Global
Alliance, said: “We’re proud to recognise WONCA for their outstanding
leadership in advancing high-quality healthcare in rural and remote areas. This
year’s record-breaking number of submissions was truly inspiring. Each one demonstrated
how international meetings can be powerful catalysts for real, lasting change.
The Incredible Impacts Programme proves that when business events are driven by
purpose, their influence reaches far beyond the conference room and into
communities worldwide.”
WONCA received $20,000 to advance its legacy initiatives and
inspire other associations to put impact at the heart of their events. Other
finalists included the International Federation of Endodontic Associations
(IFEA) and International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS).
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
