On behalf of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), it gives me great pleasure to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Primary Care & Rural Health Bangladesh (PCRHB) for hosting the 17th WONCA Rural Health Conference (WRHC 2020) in collaboration with WONCA Rural South Asia (WORSA) in Dhaka from 15 - 18th April 2020. The theme "Achieving Rural Universal Health Coverage Through Community Approach" is a most appropriate one following the Astana Declaration last year reiterating Primary Health Care to achieve Universal Health Coverage I am sure the conference will provide a great learning opportunity for Family Doctors to exchange views and to learn from each other. I look forward to the sharing by experts on how to integrate family doctors into primary health care approaches for rural health care delivery. We wish to learn how to encourage community participation and to include a multisectoral approach to health care and health promotion in rural communities. Colleagues in Bangladesh has been active in supporting the work of WONCA. welcome you all to Dhaka and wish the WRHC 2020 every success.

I am delighted that Bangladesh has won the right to host the 2020 WONCA Rural Health Conference! Having lived and worked in Bangladesh from 2000 to 2003 1 am well aware of the special health challenges of the country, most especially among its large rural communities, and so it is highly appropriate that the conference should be held in such an environment, I applaud WONCA's Working Party on Rural Practice for awarding this event to you. Bangladesh is a very beautiful country, with warm and welcoming people, and I recommend the conference to everyone with an interest in rural issues. I'm sure the programme will include many of the key topics which need to be discussed and debated and I look forward to attending in person to meet with old friends and to meeting many new ones. Good luck with the event.

Rural Wonca is proud to announce that our 17th Wonca World Rural Health Conference in being hosted by Bangladesh in Dhaka. Rural Wonca is about better health for ALL rural people. We need generalist rural family doctors working with other broadly skilled health professionals in all countries. Our particular emphasis in this is helping low- and middle-income countries. Rural WONCA have been working closely with the WHO and other agencies towards achieving this. Primary Care and Rural Health Bangladesh, who have organised the conference, are one of the most enthusiastic groups I have seen apply to host this annual conference. They promise a wonderful conference with the chance to embrace the Bangladesh welcome, the culture and learn about their challenges and achievements. This conference celebrates 25 years since the publication of our first Rural Wonca policy Training for Rural Practice. The lead author of the policy, Professor Roger Strasser, Founding Dean of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine will reflect on the remarkable progress in that 25 years and look at the areas that still need concentrated effort. Please support Rural Wonca and Primary Care and Rural Health Bangladesh by attending what will be an exuberant and productive conference.