In September 2014, nominated representatives from each of the national associations of physicians in the African region came together in Nairobi, Kenya to discuss the establishment of a College of Physicians of East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSACOP), with the mission of addressing the lack of access to well-trained physicians in the 10 countries of the ECSACOP region.
An RCP team has been working with this committed and highly skilled foundation group since September, and on 23 and 24 April, attended its third meeting in Kampala, Uganda. This meeting was perhaps the most productive to date, and the RCP team contributed to sessions on:
- Future scenario planning
- Finance and fundraising
- Constitution
- Syllabus to curriculum
By the close of the meeting, the group had finalised the college’s constitution and fundraising plan and made significant progress on its syllabus.
Next steps
The foundation group is aiming to have the new college officially inaugurated by the East, Central and African Health Community, the regional inter-governmental health organisation responsible for ‘promoting and encourage efficiency and relevance in the provision of health services in the region’, this November. Before this can happen, the group is required to submit the new college’s finished constitution and draft curriculum.
The foundation group will also be holding meetings with key stakeholders including health and education ministers and university representatives in several countries before the planned inauguration, starting in Zimbabwe this September.
