WONCA Working Party: Planetary Health

Dr Özden Gökdemir (Turkey)

Email Chair

Dr Özden Gökdemir graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Karadeniz Technical University in 2002. She worked for two years in a Trabzon village family healthcare centre and two years in an emergency service (rural part, on ambulance or centre of the emergency call-112). She then spent about five years at Rize's Cancer Early Diagnoses, Screening, and Education Center, where she screened for breast cancer, cervix cancer, and colon cancer. Her job description also included "Smoking Sessions."

In 2016, she received her specialisation education from Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, and her PhD from the same university, Department of Physiology. She completed her mandatory work in Isparta between 2016 and 2018. She started working as an assistant professor at Izmir University of Economics-Faculty of Medicine in 2018.

Dr. Gökdemir was the past leader of the Special Interest Group on Mental Health at the World Organization for Family Doctors (WONCA) and the Vasco da Gama Movement (2018-2021).

She is a member of the Rural WONCA (WONCA Working Party on Rural Practice) Council and EURIPA's executive committee.

 She is also the media director of Aile Hekimliği Akademisi and a member of the AHEF vaccination council.

She’s a member of TTB, TAHUD and EGPRN

Dr. Gökdemir is a member of the editorial board of the Turkish Journal of Family Medicine Primary Care, The Journal of Turkish Family Physician, and Journal of Applied Sciences and Clinical Practice (JASCP), guest associate editor of Frontiers.

"Let’s work and improve our lives together."

Chair Elect - Sankha Randenikumara (Sri Lanka)
Past Chair - Enrique Fleceto de Barros (Brazil)
Provost - Alan Abelsohn (Canada)
Vice Chairs - Terry Kemple (UK)
Catherine Pendrey (Australia)
Young Doctor Liaison - Nathaly Velasquez (Peru)
Medical Students' Associations Chair - Dilge Kocabaş (Turkey)

Regional chairs

Africa - Bob Mash (South Africa)
Asia Pacific - TBA
East Mediterranean - TBA
Europe - Andree Rochford (Ireland) / Ulrik Bak Kırk (Denmark)
Iberoamerica - Paola Rava Dellepiane (Uruguay)
North America - Paola Henry (Trinidad and Tobago) / Sonja Wicklum (Canada)
South Asia - TBA

Advisors

Andy Haines - Science Advisor (UK)
Alice McGushin - Climate Change Advisor (Australia)
Enrique Falceto De Barros - Innovations and Health Equity Manager (Brazil)

Vision

Healthy people, communities and ecosystems on a healthy planet.

Mission

To lead Family Doctors in protecting the health of patients and communities from the impacts of environmental hazards and threats, and promote environmental and planetary health at both the local and the planetary level.

Within a value system that promotes evidence based, ethical and equitable practice as Family Doctors, we will:
- Remember the fact that no life is possible without an environment which enables and favors it, that the planetary environment is threatened in many ways, including present and potential adverse effects on life and health, and that it is therefore in humanity’s vital interest to urgently act in order to preserve it for us and for future generations;
- Represent a view which promotes this understanding of planetary health, while keeping the responsibility for our patients in mind;
- Strive to better understand how the environment affects human health;
- Educate our members, other physicians and health professionals, the public, and policy-makers about environmental health issues;
- Share our concerns with patients, while emphasizing health and health promotion.
- Promote and develop best practices in planetary health in family medicine.
- Collaborate both within WONCA and with other organizations that share our concerns and values;
- Support and guide family doctors and other health professionals to advocate for healthy people, communities, ecosystems and a healthy planet;
- Promote healthcare and other activities of WONCA and its members that is environmentally sustainable, striving towards carbon neutrality and minimizing waste and use of water resources.

Our objectives will be implemented through:

1. Sharing of resources:
   Educational materials and other resources
   Interesting articles on environmental health
2. Sharing activities we are involved in, in our own departments or practices
3. Discussions on topics on environmental health relevant to Family Doctors
   - clinical practice
   - research
   - community involvement
4. Project development
   - educating family physicians
   - curriculum development
   - research

 We also hope to run educational sessions and meetings at as many WONCA regional meetings as we can, and to collaborate with other WONCA Working Parties and SIGs.

WONCA Planetary Health Equitable and Sustainable Events Policy (2023)

A call from Family Doctors to secure a just and equitable transition to sustainable energy and safeguard health from the climate emergency (2023)

The WONCA Working Party on the Environment Statement to Protect Health by committing to fossil fuel non-proliferation and climate action (2023)

An international planetary health for primary care massive open online course (2023)

El Niño and health in an era of unprecedented climate change (2023)

The World Organization of Family Doctors Air Health Train the Trainer Program: lessons learned and implications for planetary health education (2023)

Eco-anxiety: a new disease or a “new normal”? (2022)

Planetary health action framework: A case study

Family doctors to connect global concerns due to climate change with local actions: State-of-the art and some proposals (2021)

On the importance of primary and community healthcare in relation to global health and environmental threats: lessons from the COVID-19 crisis (2019)

Statement declaring climate emergency (2019)

Declaration calling for the Family Doctors of the world to act on planetary health

Statement on Planetary Health and Sustainable Development Goals (2017)

Portugues
中文

Justification and appropriateness in radiological diagnostics - policy statement (2016)

Family Doctors in the Field (2014)

Visit the A-Z resources area for a complete listing of publications

Projects

WP on the Environment Statement to Protect Health

Signatory to the Doha Declaration on Climate, Health and Wellbeing

“Family Doctors in the Field - stories from environmental family doctors from across the globe”
Grant Blashki, Alan Abelsohn, Margot Parkes and Karen Flegg are delighted to announce our upcoming book, "Family Doctors in the Field -Stories from environmental family doctors from across the globe", which is to be launched at the WONCA Europe conference in Lisbon, in July 2014. The aim of the book is to profile ordinary family doctors around the world who are interested or involved in environmental issues. Launch of  Family Doctors in the Field

Greening the doctors’ office/ clinic
We plan to develop a guide to “greening the doctors’ office” for distribution through WONCA, and national colleges. We can use existing materials, including those from the Doctors for the Environment Australia and the Ontario College of Family Physicians. Alan Abelsohn discussed this, in Mumbai.

Climate change and health; The role of the family doctor
We plan to develop a user-friendly PowerPoint presentation, with speaker notes and references that can be used by colleagues in WONCA and beyond. We will develop a network of interested family doctors, in collaboration with other climate change and health medical groups. 

Patients views on GP’s promoting Sustainability
Funded by the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, this s a study of patients’ views on the promotion of sustainability priniciples by GPs. It will be undertaken during 2012, in Australia, and it is hoped that the study will also be piloted in Canada. 

Meetings attended and conducted
Grant Blashki held a very successful conference in Melbourne in October, on Creating Healthy Sustainable Societies. Alan Abelsohn is running a series of workshops on climate change and the family doctor in Canada, at national and provincial family medicine conferences, and gave a plenary on climate change and health at WONCA SAR 2011, in Mumbai.

Diagnostic imaging and radiation safety
Endorsed WONCA policy: Justification and appropriateness in radiological diagnostics 2016

Occupational health
Ezequiel Lopez is now chairing the WONCA SIG on Workers Health

Research
Our survey on the attitudes of family doctors towards climate change has been completed. The survey results will be analyzed and written up for publication. The group working on this are Grant Blashki and Claudio Villella (Australia) as leads, Gerald Koh Choon Huat (Singapore) and Alan Abelsohn (Canada).

Most important activities 2007–2010 triennium	Key future activities for coming triennium
Conduct workshops at WONCA  Proposal to Executive & support the Executive in writing a WONCA Statement on Climate change Write articles (see report 2011)	Articles for publication Projects in climate change, greening the doctors’ office and children’s environmental health Research on climate change

  the working party meeting in Cancun

WHO Children’s Environmental Health Training Modules.

We would like to promote training based on the WHO Training Package for Health Care Providers on Children's Health and the Environment in collaboration with ISDE and WHO. Alan Abelsohn met, by conference call, with Ruth Etzel and her support staff, of the Children’s Environmental Health program, Public Health and the Environment, WHO, in January, and we continue to look for mutual opportunities to teach these modules.

What can family doctors do?

Climate change is the most pressing public health challenge of our times. What is the role of family doctors? First ideas come from an article from Australian Family Physician, and a report from the Ontario College of family Physicians in Canada.

Climate change and health. What can family doctors do? (PDF format)
Addressing the Health Effects of Climate Change: Family Physicians Are Key - The Ontario College of Family Physicians (PDF format)

Family doctors can set an example to their communities, and help the environment, by "greening" their offices, and reducing their ecological footprint. We include two useful resources to help you get started in your office or clinic:

Green Clinic Brochure (PDF format)
Des solutions vertes au bureau (français - PDF format)
Greening your Office Brochure (English - PDF format)

Key links on the environment for family doctors

- International Society of Doctors for the Environment ISDE
- College of Family Physicians of Canada, Environmental Health Committee
- Ontario College of Family Physicians, Environmental Health Committee
- Climate and Health Council

E-course on carcinogens
Curso en línea

An on-line course, on taking an occupational and environmental exposure history, related to carcinogens, which is appropriate for use in training in primary care. It is available in English, French and Spanish.