About

The African Federation for Emergency Medicine is an international association composed of African national emergency medicine organisations that are members of the AFEM as defined by these bylaws. AFEM represents a co-ordinating consortium of these organisations. Definition of Emergency Medicine – as per IFEM Emergency medicine is a field of practice based on the knowledge and skills required for the prevention, diagnosis and management of acute and urgent aspects of illness and injury affecting patients of all age groups with a full spectrum of episodic undifferentiated physical and behavioural disorders; it further encompasses an understanding of the development of prehospital and inhospital emergency medical systems and the skills necessary for this development. Mission and Goals The mission of the AFEM is to “promote at an African and international level interchange, understanding and cooperation among health care workers providing emergency care”. AFEM should aim to be recognized as the international voice for quality emergency medical care in Africa. The AFEM will carry out its activities as outlined in these bylaws.

President’s Message

“Greetings from the African Federation for Emergency Medicine!

As your first elected president, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the website of AFEM. Since the Federation was established, it has grown in strength enormously and remains committed to spreading the message of Emergency Medicine internationally.

As the Charter talks about every citizen’s right to receive emergency care by trained emergency care health professionals, one of the most important functions of the organization is to help countries in Africa develop emergency medical care, systems, and training programmes. One way this aim can be achieved is by national Emergency Medicine organisations joining the AFEM in order to make the best use of shared resources on the continent. The website gives information on the Federation’s governance and its functions. We are in the process of evolution and your help in developing this site further will be most appreciated. Please don’t hesitate to communicate with me or any of the officers.

With my warmest best wishes to all those who participate in providing emergency care.”

Lee Wallis
President – AFEM
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History

FORMATION OF THE AFRICAN FEDERATION FOR EMERGENCY MEDICINE “SUPPORTING EMERGENCY CARE ACROSS AFRICA” November 26, 2009 at 12:00 noon CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA November 26, 2009 We are proud to announce the formation of the African Federation for Emergency Medicine (AFEM), dedicated to “Supporting Emergency Care Across Africa”. Lee Wallis, President of the Emergency Medicine Society for South Africa (EMSSA), organized several meetings on this and other topics during the 2nd EMSSA “EM in the Developing World” Conference, held from 24-26 November, 2009, at the Cape Town International Conference Centre. The AFEM will act as a formative, “umbrella” organization for all the existing and future African National EM Societies. EMSSA is the largest national EM Society in Africa, but many more are in the early stages or are on the brink of formation, including Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia and others. AFEM is also proud to announce that they will accept as full members and / or member societies other health professionals and health professional societies, including EM nursing, EMT’s and paramedics, in recognition of the multi-lateral, multi-disciplinary, multiprofessional nature of emergency medicine and acute care. The conference also saw the official formation of the Emergency Nursing Society of South Africa (ENSSA), as an equal-member sub-group of EMSSA, as a further reflection of our natural partnership with the specialty of emergency nursing. The current AFEM interim Executive Committee of 9 elected persons will determine over the oncoming months the ultimate structure of AFEM; 5 initial committees (Identity; Governance, Membership, Terms of Reference and Services) were formed to assist in this most crucial phase.

Goals of the AFEM are to :

  1. Exchange information on topics of African and international interest
  2. Provide a mechanism for African and international collaborative research
  3. Provide a mechanism for African and international elective opportunities for trainees in African emergency medicine programs
  4. Provide an avenue for African and international sabbatical and exchange opportunities for practitioners of emergency medicine
  5. Act as a forum for common problems and approaches to solving problems specific to emergency medicine and the delivery of emergency care in Africa
  6. Offer advice and guidance to African emergency care providers in the formation of national associations and training and certification programs
  7. Provide a network system of centers to facilitate African cooperation in the event of national or manmade disasters
  8. Organize an African conference on topics of interest in emergency medicine every 2 years
  9. Act as a resource in the development of emergency medical services (out-of-hospital care)
  10. Provide support for public education programs related to emergency medicine
  11. Provide policy recommendations on international, public and governmental issues related to emergency medicine.

AFEM supports and endorses the following principles:
1. All countries should provide unrestricted access to emergency healthcare 2. Emergency medicine encompasses a unique and specified body of knowledge and should be recognized as a distinct independent medical specialty in all countries.

Officers

The Interim Executive Committee is:

President – Lee Wallis
Vice President – Conrad Buckle
Secretary – Charles Otieno
Officers – Petra Brysiewicz, Bob Corder, Heike Geduld, Steve Justus, Valerie Krym, Hein Lamprecht, Terry Mulligan, Sebastian Spencer