{"id":23437,"date":"2024-10-17T16:46:32","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T15:46:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Valedictory-Speech-President-Lujain-Al-Qodmani-2023-2024-2.pdf"},"modified":"2024-11-14T10:52:04","modified_gmt":"2024-11-14T10:52:04","slug":"valedictory-speech-president-lujain-al-qodmani-2023-2024-2","status":"inherit","type":"attachment","link":"https:\/\/www.wma.net\/es\/valedictory-speech-president-lujain-al-qodmani-2023-2024-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Valedictory-Speech-President-Lujain-Al-Qodmani-2023-2024"},"author":17,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"acf":[],"description":{"rendered":"

Valedictory-Speech-President-Lujain-Al-Qodmani-2023-2024<\/a><\/p>\n

Valedictory Speech of WMA President
\nDistinguished colleagues, honored guests, and friends,
\nI remember one day my daughter Yasmin just five months old, was the reason for a
\nmajor security alert at the United Nations headquarters in New York. We were there for
\nthe multi-stakeholder consultation on universal health coverage.
\nSo, at the gate, the UN security force had everything ready for Michele, my husband,
\nwho would be taking care of Yasmin while I was on stage, but they didn’t have a digital
\npass for my baby. \u00abWe’re not used to having babies in the UN premises,\u00bb they said, as if
\nmy tiny Yasmin could pose a security threat to the building. After a lot of back-and-forth,
\nand a few chuckles, we finally made it inside. The whole situation caused quite a stir,
\nbut in the end, everyone smiled as they saw her.
\nI remember breastfeeding her in the nursing room, a surreal but tender reminder that
\neven amidst complex negotiations and international discourse, the most simple and
\nprofound moments of care are what connect us all.
\nMy presidency journey hasn’t been without its struggles. Navigating the inherent gender
\nimbalance within our organization\u2014one that is still very male-dominated\u2014was
\nchallenging. As only the fifth woman president of the WMA, I was deeply aware of the
\nhonor and responsibility of representing so many others who still lack a seat at the
\ntable.
\nWe need to make leadership accessible for women and mothers, and create support
\nstructures and leadership avenues that are gender equal and accessible to all.
\nLet us establish more flexible meeting arrangements, providing childcare support
\nduring key events, and creating mentorship opportunities specifically targeted at young
\nwomen physicians.
\nThese steps can ensure that the voices of women are not just heard but are leading the
\nconversation.
\nReflections on Achievements and Challenges
\nThroughout my tenure, I have seen both incredible progress but also daunting
\nchallenges.
\nThese challenges were a constant reminder that we as physicians, as leaders and as
\nadvocates for health, must constantly challenge the status quo.
\nWe must transform the long-standing systems to equal ones that accommodate all with
\nno discrimination. I take pride in the Leadership Through Mentorship initiative that
\nconnects members of our Junior Doctors Network with the experience of our Past
\nLeaders Network, bridging generations to create a continuum of learning and growth.
\nWe also made great strides through the Women-in-Medicine Luncheon, creating a
\nspace for mentorship, peer learning, and celebrating women leaders in organized
\nmedicine.
\nHowever, our advocacy did not stop there.
\nWe raised our collective voices through open letters\u2014one to safeguard healthcare
\npersonnel during conflicts and another urging world leaders to divest away from fossil
\nfuel divestment on behalf of 46 million health professionals.
\nThese were not mere formalities; they were calls for action, for safeguarding lives, and
\nfor upholding our ethical duty to future generations.
\nBut we faced resistance in implementing some of these initiatives, but it was through
\nresilience, collaboration, and unwavering belief in our mission that we overcame these
\nobstacles.
\nCurrent State of Global Healthcare and Progress
\nThe challenges facing global healthcare today are immense. Conflicts rage, climate
\nchange, economic crises and violations of human rights continue.
\nWe have not learned enough from the devastations of the past, and the world is more
\nfragmented than ever. Despite the shared experience of COVID-19, we have yet to
\nreach a pandemic accord, and we still lag behind on the Paris Agreement, Sustainable
\nDevelopment Goals including Universal Health Coverage.
\nThis year, healthcare has faced immense dangers, with over 980 attacks reported by
\nthe WHO surveillance system in areas such as Lebanon, Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza.
\nDoctors from Kenya to Korea, the UK to India, took to the streets demanding safer
\nworking environments. These are not isolated incidents; they are cries for systemic
\nchange, for respect, and for their right to serve their moral duty.
\nDuring my tenure, we successfully brought together stakeholders to discuss safer
\nworking environments for healthcare personnel, ensuring healthcare system resilience
\nto climate change, and bringing important voices to demand actions to combat
\nantimicrobial resistance.
\nWe also played a role in fostering international collaboration to advance the goals of all
\nthe SDGs, particularly the Universal Health Coverage, ensuring that health remains a
\nright, not a privilege.
\nCore Reflections and Moral Duty
\nAs physicians, our duty is not just to our patients but to the health and well-being of all.
\nNo matter how bleak the world may seem, we must not lose our passion for this moral
\nduty.
\nThis GA is historic. Following a long and extensive review process, we have an updated
\ndraft of the Declaration of Helsinki for your approval. This document embodies our
\ncommitment to integrity, respect, and the highest standards in medical ethics, reminding
\nus that our duty extends beyond individual patients to the broader advancement of
\nhealth, and we eagerly await its adoption.
\nFuture Plans and Support for Incoming Leadership
\nMy journey is far from over.
\nI will continue advocating for gender equality, for action on climate and health, and for
\nthe rights of health for all and the rights of physicians everywhere. You will still see me
\naround\u2014because there is still much work to be done, and I am far from finished.
\nTo the incoming president, I offer my wholehearted support. This is not a solitary
\njourney; it is one that we walk together.
\nAcknowledgments and Thanks
\nI want to take a moment to thank those who have been instrumental during my
\npresidency.
\nTo the Executive Council, to our Secretary General, and to the Secretariat members\u2014
\nyour dedication and support have been the backbone of our achievements.
\nTo the National Medical Associations (NMAs), associate members and Junior Doctors
\nNetwork thank you for your unwavering support and for being the pillars of our global
\nefforts.
\nTo my family, my friends, and especially my mother, who is here with me in Helsinki to
\ncare for Yasmin, thank you for your unending love and strength.
\nAnd to Michele, my husband, and Yasmin\u2014my travel companions and my heart
\nMichele, thank you for being my rock and all the sacrifices you made to help me fulfill
\nmy role.
\nAnd to Yasmin, thank you for being my little source of joy and for your patience and
\npresence throughout this journey.
\nCalls to Action for Global Health
\nWe live in a troubled world, with more conflicts now than at any time since 1944. The
\nimportance of our call for peace cannot be overstated. Speaking today, with
\nrepresentatives from over 50 countries gathered here in the form of NMAs, I see a
\nsymbol of unity\u2014a reminder of what the world should strive to be. Our strength lies in
\nour shared commitment, in our unity, and in our determination to act, regardless of the
\npolitical complexities involved.
\nI would like to leave you one final message as this is the last time I stand before you
\ntoday as the WMA President:
\nLet us continue to fight \u2014 for our rights, for our safety, for the right to a safe working
\nenvironment, and for the dignity of every individual. The WMA must take the lead in this
\nfight and continue to advocate for stronger health protections, resilient healthcare
\ninfrastructure, equal capacity building opportunities and most importantly right to health,
\nand right to healthy environment. Let us be loud about our call to peace as a public
\nhealth priority and an important determinant of health.
\nLet us be the voice that speaks for those who cannot, and the hands that heal those
\nwho are forgotten.
\nThank you.<\/p>\n"},"caption":{"rendered":"

Valedictory-Speech-President-Lujain-Al-Qodmani-2023-2024 Valedictory Speech of WMA President Distinguished colleagues, honored guests, and friends, I remember one day my daughter Yasmin just five months old, was the reason for a major security alert at the United Nations headquarters in New York. We were there for the multi-stakeholder consultation on universal health coverage. So, at the gate, the […]<\/p>\n"},"alt_text":"","media_type":"file","mime_type":"application\/pdf","media_details":{"filesize":39908,"sizes":{}},"post":null,"source_url":"https:\/\/www.wma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Valedictory-Speech-President-Lujain-Al-Qodmani-2023-2024-2.pdf","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wma.net\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23437"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wma.net\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wma.net\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/attachment"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wma.net\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wma.net\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23437"}]}}