21 October 2024

European doctors’ President addresses World Medical Association General Assembly

CPME President, Dr Christiaan Keijzer, addressed delegates on European doctor’s activities at the World Medical Association (WMA) General Assembly in Helsinki. His presentation focused on how CPME contributes the medical profession’s point of view to European health policy-making through pro-active cooperation.

He introduced our ongoing work at European level (such as recent advocacy on air quality and ongoing cooperation with WHO/Europe on mental health), statements on national issues (e.g. in Slovenia, Turkiye and the UK), and cooperation with WMA itself (such as the Ukraine Medical Help Fund).

A key outcome of the meeting was the revision of the Declaration of Helsinki, a statement of ethical principles for medical research involving human participants, to address contemporary bioethical challenges while retaining its core principles: informed consent, risk-benefit assessment, and respect for participants.

Incoming WMA President, Dr Ashok Philip of Malaysia, used his inaugural address to call upon physicians worldwide to continue contributing to healthcare policy development and health systems change. He focused on the necessity of the medical profession to stay actively engaged to ensure the best outcomes for patients and to safeguard professional autonomy.

The WMA represents 114 national medical associations and more than 9 million physicians worldwide.