The World Medical Association General Assembly 2024 in summary

World Medical Association 75th General Assembly in Helsinki, Finland, from 16-19 October 2024 brought together delegates from 50 national medical associations

FERNEY VOLTAIRE, AIN, FRANCE, October 23, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The 75th General Assembly of the World Medical Association, held in Helsinki, Finland, from 16-19 October 2024 brought together delegates from 50 national medical associations to address urgent issues facing the medical profession today.

Adoption of the revised Declaration of Helsinki
The 2024 revision of the Declaration of Helsinki, Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Participants, was unanimously adopted by the General Assembly, 60 years since the original Declaration was adopted. This follows a thorough, 30-month revision process by the WMA Declaration of Helsinki revision workgroup with representatives from 19 countries. Substantive changes to the Declaration of Helsinki can be categorised in two areas.

The first area is participant-centered inclusion, respect and protection, including recognition of participant vulnerability, calls for community engagement, pursuit of global justice, obtaining informed consent, and use of participant-centered language.

The second area of substantive changes covers research beneficence and value, including the pursuit of “individual and public health”, upholding scientific rigor and integrity, and considered distribution of benefits, risks and burdens.
See related press release.

Wide scope of subjects covered
Other declarations, resolutions and statements adopted by the WMA General Assembly include:
• WMA Resolution on anti-LGBTQ legislation
• WMA Resolution on Plastics and Health
• WMA Declaration on Prevention and Reduction of Air Pollution to Improve Air Quality
• WMA Resolution on the Protection of Healthcare in Israel and Gaza
• WMA Statement on Epidemics and Pandemics
• WMA Resolution in support of the Turkish Medical Association
• WMA Statement on Human Papillomavirus Vaccination
• WMA Statement on Adolescent Suicide
• WMA Resolution on Organ Donation in Prisoners
• WMA Declaration of Kigali on the Ethical Use of Medical Technology
• WMA Statement on Assisted Reproductive Technologies
• WMA Resolution on the Revocation of WHO Guidelines on Opioid Use
• WMA Guidelines on Promotional Mass Media Appearances by Physicians

New WMA President – Dr Ashok Philip
Dr Ashok Philip, a specialist in Internal Medicine, practising in the private sector in Malaysia and Past President of the Malaysian Medical Association, was installed as the 75th President of the World Medical Association for 2024-25. Dr Philip said that steps towards removing or excluding physicians from healthcare delivery teams, ostensibly to handle shortages of medical professionals, but as cost cutting measures, must be resisted. See his Inauguration speech here.

New WMA President-Elect – Dr Jacqueline Kitulu
Dr Jacqueline Kitulu, former president of the Kenyan Medical Association, was elected as President-elect of the World Medical Association. Dr Kitulu will take up her post at the 76th WMA General Assembly in Porto, Portugal in October 2025. She stressed the importance of global advocacy for primary, robust healthcare systems delivered by a strong healthcare workforce, to improve global health outcomes. Dr Kitulu promised to lead WMA with transparency, compassion and unwavering commitment.

Inequalities in health and healthcare – how to tackle them?
The WMA Scientific Session addressed inequalities in health and healthcare, and how to tackle them. The Keynote Speech, “Social Justice and Health Equity” was given by Sir Michael Marmot, WMA Past President. This was followed by sessions on “How can prevention provide more equity in healthcare?”, “Advancements in healthcare – how to make access to health care more equitable?’ and “How to mitigate the effects of climate change on inequalities?”

In other business, the Hungarian Medical Chamber (HMC) was admitted to the World Medical Association Constituent Membership.

Mme Janice Blondeau
World Medical Association
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