Family doctors deserve the world’s maximum support because the health of our world depends on their knowledge, skill, perseverance, and compassion, said Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, today, at the opening of the fourth WONCA East Mediterranean Region Conference 2017, in Abu Dhabi.

"Nothing supports them better than the World Organisation of Family Doctors. WONCA, a truly international non-profit organisation, merits our gratitude and praise," he said.

The role of family medicine practitioners is an extremely important one in the medical community because, according Sheikh Nahyan, "they are the first and primary source of care for their patients, the face of compassion during difficult times and the reference point to specialist interventions."

"You are the source of continuity in care over extended periods of time. Your work has a tremendous effect on the overall quality of life of your patients," he told participating family doctors at the family medicine conference.

Speaking about the host country of the event, Sheikh Nahyan said the UAE is the perfect location for family doctors' endeavour "because, thanks to the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his leadership team, our country is flourishing as a knowledge society committed to excellence."

WONCA is a global not-for-profit professional organisation representing family physicians and general practitioners from all regions of the world. WONCA's mission is to improve the quality of life of the peoples of the world through high standards of care in general practice/family medicine.

The organisation seeks to create awareness of the role of family doctors in supporting new doctors at primary healthcare facilities, President of WONCA East Mediterranean Region, Dr. Mohamed Tarawneh, told Emirates News Agency (WAM) in a statement at the conference.

There should be three family doctors for every 10,000 people, Dr. Tarawneh said, and noted that family physicians stand out from other doctors in that they are focused on comprehensive primary health care.