COSECSA

The College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) is an independent body that fosters postgraduate education in surgery and provides surgical training throughout the region of East, Central and Southern Africa. COSECSA delivers a common surgical training programme with an internationally bench-marked exam and qualification.[1]

College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa
AbbreviationCOSECSA
FormationDecember 1999 (December 1999)
TypeProfessional association
Legal statusNon-government organization
HeadquartersECSA Health Community Building, 157 Olorien, Njiro Road
Location
  • Arusha, Tanzania
Membership
~1,000
Official language
English
President
Professor Godfrey Muguti of Zimbabwe
WebsiteHomepage

COSECSA is a non-profit making body that currently operates in 14 countries in the sub-Saharan region: Botswana, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.[1]

History

COSECSA grew out of the Association of Surgeons of East Africa (ASEA). ASEA was formally inaugurated in Nairobi, Kenya on 9 November 1950. In 1996, in response to perceived inadequacies of surgical training in the region, the ASEA steering committee decided to create the College of Surgeons of East, Central & Southern Africa (COSECSA). These inadequacies were seen to be the limited capacity of university teaching hospitals' surgical training programmes, the increasing difficulty in accessing UK surgical training programmes at that time[2] and the variability of training programmes from country to country.

The official inauguration of the College was held in Nairobi in December 1999. In December 2001, at the first annual general meeting in Lusaka, Zambia the council of the college was elected by the foundation fellows.[3]

Training model

COSECSA has been described as a "college without walls." Trainee surgeons undertake their clinical training in accredited hospitals under supervision of an accredited trainer. The academic component of the programme is delivered online, through an e-learning portal, and through workshops held across the region.[4]

Academic structure

COSECSA has two programmes: (a) Membership: A certificate of competence in surgery at General Medical Officer Grade (minimum 2 years training)[5] and (b) Fellowship: A specialist qualification in General Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Urology, Paediatric Surgery, Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology (minimum 5 years training).[6]

As of December 2016, COSECSA has graduated a cumulative total of 206 Fellows, with another 389 trainees actively training in 60 accredited training hospitals. At that time, there were 973 members and fellows of the college.[7]

A complete list of current fellows and members is available at this online reference.[8]

Partner organisations

COSECSA is a founding association of the Pan African Association of Surgeons. The College also has a long-standing collaboration programme with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.[4]

References
  1. Miliard Debrew (1 May 2018). "COSECSA collaborates to address surgical shortages in sub-Saharan Africa". Chicago: Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  2. N. Shrinivasalah and R.R. Yalamuri (December 2006). "Training for Overseas Doctors in the UK" (Letters to the Editor). Indian Journal of Surgery. Retrieved 11 January 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  3. COSECSA (2019). "The History of COSECSA". Arusha, Tanzania: College of Surgeons of East & Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA). Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  4. Declan J Magee (13 July 2015). "Surgery remains 'the neglected stepchild of global health'". The Irish Times. Dublin. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  5. COSECSA (2019). "Membership of the College of Surgeons: MCS (ECSA)". Arusha, Tanzania: College of Surgeons of East & Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA). Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  6. COSECSA. "Fellowship of the College of Surgeons: FCS (ECSA)". Arusha, Tanzania: College of Surgeons of East & Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA). Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  7. COSECSA (December 2016). "The College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa: 2016 Annual Report" (PDF). Arusha, Tanzania: College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA). Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  8. COSECSA (December 2018). "COSECSA Members And Fellows Directory". Arusha, Tanzania: College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA). Retrieved 13 January 2018.
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