Dr. Preethi Wijegoonewardene was awarded the Fellowship of WONCA, the first Sri Lankan to receive the highest honor of WONCA at an impressive award ceremony at the WONCA World Conference held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 1-4 November. The Fellowship of WONCA, the most prestigious award, is awarded to individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the WONCA Organisation, and to Family Medicine globally.
Dr. Athukoralage Don Asoka Preethiraj Wijegoonewardene, a well-known family physician in Colombo, and a son of late Paediatrician, Dr. A.D.P.A. Wijegoonewardene, is involved in teaching Family Medicine to undergraduates and postgraduates for over 25 years. He was the President, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) in 2002, President, College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka (CGPSL) (2004 – 2007), President of WONCA – MESAR (Middle-East South Asia Region) (2007 – 2010), and President of WONCA South Asia from 2010 to 2013. He is the Patron of the South Asia Primary Care Research Network (SAPCRN), and the current Chair of the MRCGP (Int) – South Asia Board, and also the Chair of the MCGP Board of the College of General Practitioners of Sri Lanka.He is widely acclaimed as a leader in Family Medicine in the South Asian region and a teacher of repute in the speciality of Family Medicine
WONCA is an unusual, yet convenient acronym comprising the first five initials of the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians. WONCA’s short name is World Organization of Family Doctors. The World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) is a not-for-profit organization and was founded in 1972 by member organizations in 18 countries. WONCA now has 118 Member Organizations in 131 countries and territories with membership of about 500,000 family doctors.