Welcome to our second Newsreel for the 15th EURIPA Rural Health Forum!  

We are excited to announce that the web site for the Forum is now LIVE! You can find out  everything that you need to know about the Forum at: https://forum.euripa.org/ 

The web site shows the outline programme and we are pleased to make our first announcement  on the keynote speakers: 

Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, President of World WONCA. Viviana practiced Family Medicine  in a rural/industrial town in Iowa before starting her academic career. You can find out  more about her here.

Cartagena is a port city and a naval base and an exciting development is the keynote  address from the Spanish Marine Social Institute and we will have a link up to a hospital  ship.

More details of the key notes speakers and the programme will follow in future newsreels.  

The Call for Abstracts is now OPEN and we would like to encourage you to submit your abstracts  for oral presentations, One slide/five minutes, posters, and workshops. There will again be a poster  walk so you will have an opportunity chance to talk to the authors. 

Once again EURIPA is offering four Bursaries to students and young doctors, to help with the costs  of attending the Forum. Last year’s recipeitns said: 

• “For me, this support was not only financial; it was a meaningful sign that EURIPA values  young researchers, believes in our potential, and is committed to investing in our  contributions to rural health. Feeling recognised in this way is something I will carry with  me throughout my career.” 
• “Learning about diverse approaches to rural care delivery across Europe was especially eye opening; seeing how different national healthcare systems tackle similar challenges gave  me new appreciation for the complexity and creativity required to achieve equitable care.”

As we explained in the first Newsreel we are also offering an EURIPA Pre-Forum Exchange  programme this year. The EURIPA Rural Pre-Forum Exchange 2026 offers a unique opportunity to  experience rural primary care in Spain just before the EURIPA Forum in Cartagena. It is aimed at  medical students, residents, or young family doctors interested in rural medicine. 

This pilot initiative will provide 3–4 selected participants with a 2–3 day observership in rural  primary care settings across Spain. You will work alongside experienced rural family doctors,  gaining first-hand insight into clinical practice, community care, and the realities of rural medicine. The experience will conclude with your participation in the EURIPA Forum, where you will share  your reflections in a dedicated “Rural Café” session. 

The Call for Applications for the Bursaries and the Exchange are now open. Details are available on  the Registration page of the Forum web site.

The deadline for submission of Abstracts and applications for a Bursary or the Exchange is  14 June 2026. 

The title of our Forum this year is: Embracing Rural Diversity. In our first Newsreel we highlighted  the two sub themes for the Forum. The web site now has more information.

The deadline for abstract submission: 14 June 2026 

Our next Newsreel will be published in late May / early June. EURIPA will be at WONCA Europe  conference in Paris form 30 June to 3 July 2026 in Paris, so please come and see us! You will be  able to find out more about the Forum in Cartagena. 

We are delighted to invite you to join us at the 15th EURIPA Rural Health Forum 2026, a gathering  of healthcare professionals, researchers, and community leaders dedicated to advancing wellbeing  and healthcare in rural areas. 

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