The Dutch platform for Family Medicine & International Health
This platform of Family Medicine and International Health exists since 1989.
The platform was founded by doctors, who worked in low income countries, and who wanted to preserve and share their knowledge about tropical medicine, after their return to Family Medicine in the Netherlands..
This lead to the initiation of the Training Program in medical advice for travelers, in Dutch FM practice. If registered you need keep your skills up to date through CME (Continous Medical Education)
In the following years the WHIG got involved in supporting the 3-year postgraduate course of Family Medicine at the Moi University in ELDORET, Kenia. The project has been running since 2001. Last year 9 students completed this training and received the Master of Medicine – Community Practice degree. The WHIG guarantees the tuition fees for the registrars enrolled is this program. Our ambition is to facilitate more programs like this in different low income countries, to reduce the loss of medical knowledge in rural areas. They developed their own website
In 2011, the WHIG consists of a core group of 10 members (the Board), all doctors with experience in humanitarian aid, who are now working as family doctors in the Netherlands. The supporters include more than 100 (tropical) family physicians.
The WHIG is a subcommittee of the Dutch Society of Tropical Medicine.