Report from the World Medical Association

Many AMA members will have little visibility of our work with the World Medical Association. For some time, the AMA has been an elective and active member of the Council of the WMA. This places our organization at the heart of global advocacy for health and for doctors. For this privilege, less than $4 of your annual AMA membership fees are paid for our membership of the WMA.

You may not realise that, as an example, the AMA has been pivotal in advocacy for HPV vaccination at a global level. HPV vaccination has put us within sight of almost total elimination of squamous cervical cancer globally, saving and improving the lives of millions of women. Yet HPV vaccination also has a protective effect on oropharyngeal and other cancers. The Federal AMA secretariat has played a key role in developing policies that will drive vaccination programs at a global level.

The most recent meeting of the WMA has developed policy on doctors’ wellbeing and mental health, protecting doctors during conflicts, and on organ donation – another issue that affects hundreds of thousands of patients globally. The AMA now will take a global leadership role in developing international guidance on flows of doctors between countries. We all understand just how important overseas-trained doctors are in the Australian health system. Having our experience recognised in being tasked with providing global leadership on this key workforce issue should make AMA members proud.

Because of Australia’s recognised leadership at a global level – along with groups such as the American and British Medical Associations – we hope to make sure that all AMA members are informed about this important work and its implications for all Australian doctors, the patients we treat, and at a global level. Stay tuned for regular updates.