Representatives of the global initiative were received by the Director-General of the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the World Council of Churches.
In anticipation of May 19, World Family Doctor Day, representatives of the international campaign “¡Thank You, Doctor!” (ThankYouDoctor.org) were welcomed in Geneva by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the World Council of Churches (WCC).
The meetings recognized the essential service provided by primary care physicians—often in heroic circumstances—and acknowledged the vital role of family doctors in helping address the growing crisis faced by healthcare systems worldwide.
World Health Organization
The series of visits began on May 13, when WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hosted the campaign’s founders at the organization’s headquarters.
With over 1.2 million supporters and the backing of more than 30 medical and civic associations from across the globe, the “Thank You, Doctor!” campaign has become a broad-based expression of public gratitude toward family doctors.
The delegation included leaders from the campaign’s founding institutions: SOMOS Community Care—a nonprofit network of over 2,500 doctors serving underserved communities in New York—and the Pontifical Academy for Life, a Vatican-affiliated institution.
Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy, and Dr. Ramón Tallaj, Chairman of SOMOS Community Care, led the delegation. They were joined by Dr. Mario Paredes, CEO of SOMOS, and Dr. Jordi Serrano Pons, Scientific Director of “Thank You, Doctor!” The meeting also highlighted the role of Pope Francis, who publicly endorsed the initiative in November 2023.
International Committee of the Red Cross
That same day, the campaign’s representatives met with a delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, led by Vice President Gilles Carbonnier.
The meeting was an occasion to honor the dedication of family doctors who risk their lives in conflict zones and care for victims of natural disasters or work in regions where health systems have collapsed.
World Council of Churches
The delegation also visited the World Council of Churches (WCC), a fellowship of 352 churches from over 120 countries, representing more than 580 million Christians worldwide.
During the meeting, Dr. Manoj Kurian, Director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing Dr Manoj Kurian said that the “Thank you, Doctor!” campaign connects dedicated healthcare workers to communities to ensure that the most needy and marginalized communities have access to quality and dignified healthcare.
“It builds trust in human relationships and the trustworthiness and accountability of healthcare professionals to the communities they serve,” said doctor Kurian “The WCC fully supports this vital initiative” (Cf. WCC Press Release ).