Barbe Valedictory speech Oct 2021-1

Valedictory Speech
WMA General Assembly
London, UK (virtual)
Friday, October 15, 2021
David O. Barbe, MD MHA
President, World Medical Association
Thank you, Dr. Montgomery. Dr. Kloiber, officers, Council and Assembly members and our
JDN and Associate members. Let me start by thanking you again for the great privilege of
serving as your president for this past year. It has been one of the most unusual and
challenging years the WMA and our profession has ever faced. Due to the pandemic, this is
now the second General Assembly we have found necessary to hold virtually and the fourth
Committee and Council sessions.
Although conducting our WMA business virtually is bad enough, the pandemic has kept us
apart for many more NMA meetings, scientific conferences, and from many opportunities to be
together to share a time of friendship and productive discussions outside of the formal
business sessions. I know we all hope we will able to start meeting together again soon – both
to conduct our business and to keep our relationships with one another strong.
In my inaugural remarks a year ago, I stated that “It is in times like these that our fellow
physicians and our patients need our leadership more than ever.” I went on to say that “We
need strong physician organizations at every level: the WMA, our NMAs and state and local
medical societies.” This year, I have been proud to see that strong leadership in action in the
work that you have done. I’ve seen the Indian Medical Association raise funds for their
colleagues impacted by COVID, speak out against violence directed at health care workers,
and resist expansion medical practice by persons without medical training. I have seen the
Turkish Medical Association advocate for members wrongfully imprisoned and fight to retain
recognition of their Association. I have seen the Korean Medical Association speak out
against intrusion of the government into the operating theater. I’ve seen physician leaders in
Nicaragua and Egypt speak out against oppression and threats against physicians in their
countries.
These are but a few of the many examples of NMAs advocating for their members and for their
patients. In all of these situations, the WMA was right there with these NMAs and physicians
supporting them in their struggle to protect physicians and deliver high quality care to their
patients. That is leadership … and that shows the importance of our professional
organizations and the WMA.
In spite of the pandemic, many association meetings, scientific meetings and advocacy
meetings were held virtually, and the WMA participated in many of them. In addition to NMA
meetings, the WMA participated in multiple meetings related to various aspects of the
pandemic including the recently completed meeting sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for
Life at the Vatican in Rome at which we were invited to give the physician’s perspective on the
impact of the pandemic. We participated in several conferences on equitable distribution of
vaccines and on the need to improve our ongoing response to this pandemic and our planning
for the next.
WMA leadership participated in other conferences including ones on the contemporary
relevance of bioethics, medical ethics and professionalism, person centered medicine,
violence against physicians and health care, and on the role of health professionals in
encouraging adherence to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. So, in spite of
the limitations of the pandemic, the WMA has continued to be a strong and recognized voice
for physicians around the world.
The Scientific Sessions associated with our General Assembly meetings continue to be
important forums for international discussion of key issues facing medicine. The session in
September on the ethical challenges of organ donation and transplantation processes
coordinated by the General Council of Official Medical Colleges of Spain and last week’s
session on antimicrobial resistance coordinated by the British Medical Association were both
excellent sessions and brought together experts from around the world to present and discuss
these critical and timely topics.
We have a responsibility as a profession to engage in scientific sessions like these and the
many others in which you and the WMA are involved to address the challenges we face in
many areas of science, medicine, and ethics. I commend those who organize such scientific
session for helping us fulfill that responsibility to our physician colleagues, to our patients, and
to society.
Because the WMA is recognized as having broad involvement in activities such as those I
have just mentioned and very specifically in recognition of physicians’ work and sacrifice
around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, the WMA received the “Golden Arrow 2021”
award last January at the 18th
Vienna Congress co-hosted by the Medical Doctor’s Association
of Austria. The WMA was the first organization to receive that prestigious award previously
awarded only to individuals.
In my remarks to that group, I told them “there are many physicians around the world who do
not feel appreciated or supported for the risk they have taken or the sacrifices they have made
in caring for patients with COVID. Many are demoralized. Many feel their governments, and, in
some cases, their hospitals have let them down. Some feel taken for granted or even taken
advantage of.
This Golden Arrow award proclaims to the physicians of the world – You are appreciated. We
recognize all you have done and thank you for the sacrifices you have made.” I think
physicians need to hear that. I think you need to hear that. It is our job as leaders to make
sure our physicians know we are proud of them and that their efforts and their sacrifice are
appreciated.
I am also proud of the important work you continue to do on the issues on our agenda at this
meeting… continued work on revising the international code of medical ethics… addressing
racism in medicine… emphasizing women’s right to healthcare… advocating for access to
medications and vaccines… improving our principles on end-of-life care… and multiple
statements related to improving patient safety and specific areas of medical care. Thank you
for the time and energy you devote to this work.
Before my closing comment, I want to sincerely thank Dr. Kloiber, Sunny, Clarisse, Magda and
all our staff at the WMA for the tremendous work they do on our behalf and the support they
give WMA leadership as we represent the organization. Thank you. I also thank the American
Medical Association again for their confidence and support in nominating me for this position 2
years ago. And finally, a loving thank-you to my wife, Debbie, who has been a constant source
of support and encouragement during the many years I have served in our professional
organizations. Thank you, Debbie.
In my inaugural speech a year ago, I included a quote by American baseball legend Babe Ruth.
He said, “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” We must never give up in our efforts
to advance our policies and our work to achieve our common goals. We must never fail to
advocate on behalf of patients and physicians. I know that Drs. Stensmyren and Enabulele will
do that as your elected leaders. I know that Drs. Montgomery and Kloiber will do that in their
respective roles. I am confident that you will also leave our meeting this week encouraged and
inspired by the actions we have taken, and that each of you will use the WMA resolutions,
statements, and declarations in your countries to support your physicians and accomplish our
common goal and the WMA’s purpose of achieving “the highest international standards in
medicine…and health care for all people in the world.”
Thank you very much.