The World Medical Association General Assembly 2025 in summary
The 76th General Assembly of the World Medical Association, held in Porto, Portugal, from 8–11 October 2025, brought together delegates from 54 National Medical Associations to address urgent issues facing the medical profession today.
Adoption of key WMA policies and governance items
The General Assembly adopted a comprehensive package of new and revised policies, reflecting the collective consensus of the global medical profession on issues central to ethics, workforce, and patient care.
In total, 21 policies and two governance documents were adopted, while several existing policies were reaffirmed with minor revisions.
The declarations, resolutions and statements adopted or updated by the WMA General Assembly include:
WMA Statement on Artificial and Augmented Intelligence in Medical Care
WMA Statement on Ethical Guidelines for the International Migration of Physicians (revised)
WMA Statement on Physician Mental Health Care
WMA Statement on Scope of Practice, Task Sharing and Task Shifting (revised)
WMA Statement on the Protection of Reproductive Health Rights of Women and Girls
WMA Statement on Trans People (revised)
WMA Resolution on Health Workforce at the World Health Organisation (WHO)
Special Open Session on Gaza
The Assembly held a timed open session on the situation in Gaza, with written and on-site interventions from several national medical associations, followed by a short Q&A and concluding remarks from the Immediate Past President.
→ Related press release (13 October 2025):
World Medical Association Urges Israeli Government to Uphold Humanitarian Law and Protect Healthcare in Gaza
Scientific Session – Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
The Scientific Session focused on the theme “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Medical Practice”, exploring both the opportunities and ethical dilemmas posed by emerging technologies in healthcare.
Keynote presentations examined AI’s potential to improve diagnostics, decision support, and access to care, while experts stressed the necessity of maintaining empathy, human oversight, and professional accountability in an increasingly digital world. The discussions reaffirmed that AI should serve as augmented intelligence—enhancing, not replacing, the physician’s clinical judgment.
New WMA President – Dr Jacqueline Kitulu
Dr Jacqueline Kitulu (Kenya) was installed as the 76th President of the World Medical Association for 2025–2026.
She stated that her mission is to strengthen global physician solidarity, promote mentorship for young doctors, and advocate for robust primary healthcare systems grounded in medical ethics and compassion. She emphasized that the WMA must continue to serve as a unifying voice for physicians worldwide, ensuring that every patient and practitioner is treated with dignity and respect.
New WMA President-Elect – Dr Jung Yul Park
Dr Jung Yul Park (Korea) was elected President-Elect. He will assume the presidency at the 77th WMA General Assembly in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in October 2026.
New Constituent Members
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA), the Lebanese Order of Physicians (LOP) and the Medical Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRIMC) were admitted to WMA Constituent Membership.