| While some of your countries have indicated a pulling back from international fora such as the World Health Organization, WFSA continues to be your advocate on the global stage. We will continue to fight for the interests of our profession and for the safe care of our patients, regardless of where they are located in the world. We have already made a good start with strong statements at the WHO Executive Board in January.
I am now looking forward to the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May where I expect there will be significant discussion of the WHO programme of work which is currently being revised to take account of the large loss of funding resulting from the withdrawal of the USA from the organisation. WFSA will have a strong presence in Geneva for WHA; I am delighted that our Past President Adrian Gelb will continue to support our advocacy activities alongside myself, our President-Elect and Secretariat. I welcome your comments and ideas for how we can position our Federation to make even more of an impact at WHO, in particular whether there are specific issues you would like us to raise with your Ministry of Health representatives attending WHA. Please send your thoughts through and we will be sure to incorporate these into our planning.
Later this year we will also use our official liaison role with WHO to advocate at a regional level at the six WHO Regional Committee meetings. Sincere thanks to our many Council representatives and Board members who represent us so ably at these. We will be sharing further details on these meetings in our March Member Society newsletter.
I hope you are already planning your 2026 schedule to allow for a trip to Morocco for WCA2026. I am delighted by the scientific programme put together under the leadership of our Scientific Committee Co-Chairs Tony Gin, Samir Jaber and Afak Nsiri, and excited to be able to share this vibrant, exciting destination with 3,000 colleagues from around the world. In coming months, congress registration will open, as will the opportunity for early-career anaesthesiologists to apply for Scholarships for Marrakech. Abstract submissions will open on 1 June – please help us by sharing details of these opportunities with your colleagues and networks.
I look forward to seeing many of you online for our 29 June General Assembly. Till then, I wish you all the best.
Professor Daniela Filipescu
WFSA President
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