Press release

08/12/15

08 December 2015

Urgently-needed college of physicians for East, Central and Southern Africa launched

With the mission of ‘improving standards of healthcare throughout East, Central and Southern Africa by providing specialist training for physicians committed to lifelong learning’, the new college of physicians was officially inaugurated on Friday at the 62nd ECSA Health Community Conference in Port Louis, Mauritius.

Ministers from the ECSA Health Community (ECSA-HC), the inter-governmental organisation which promotes cooperation in health among its nine member countries, unanimously approved the formation of the East, Central and Southern Africa College of Physicians.

ECSACOP will address the lack of access to well-trained doctors and differing standards of medical education in the region by implementing a new, internationally-recognised postgraduate medical qualification to supplement the number of doctors currently being trained, and establishing a network of accredited training centres – primarily hospitals serving rural populations.

The Royal College of Physicians has been supporting the ECSACOP Foundation Committee since its first meeting in September 2014 by providing mentorship and technical support.

Professor Evarist Njelesani, the Zambian physician elected as Chair of the ECSACOP Foundation Committee, said:

While this is a momentous occasion, there is much hard work to be done. We are truly grateful for the Royal College of Physicians’ support and look forward to further collaboration as we work to improve the region’s health.

Professor Jane Dacre, RCP President said:

I want to congratulate our colleagues on the huge progress which has been made in a very short space of time. I’m extremely proud that we are able to use our experience to support such an important and valuable initiative.

The ECSACOP Foundation Committee is currently finalising the college’s curriculum and identifying suitable training centres. Training at the first pilot sites is set to begin in 2017.

  • For further information please contact Morgan Evans, RCP senior communications adviser, on 020 3075 1468 / 0779 508 8253, or email Morgan.Evans@rcplondon.ac.uk
  • The East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community is comprised of the following nine member countries: Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe