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Support WFSA Fellowships

Around the world, 5 billion people lack access to safe, affordable anaesthesia and surgical care. A major factor contributing to this shortage is the lack of specialist anaesthesiologists in low-resource settings.

The WFSA Fellowship Programme aims to bridge this gap, by providing high-quality, specialist training to anaesthesia providers in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Since its inception, WFSA has supported over 500 fellows from 62 countries across 8 anaesthesia specialities and sub-specialities.

WFSA Fellowships are free for fellows, with donations covering tuition, travel, and accommodation, so they can fully focus on training – $100 supports a month of education. Consider donating today.

Why fellowships matter

WFSA Fellowships empower anaesthesia providers with specialised skills and knowledge, so they can return to their home institutions as leaders, educators, and advocates for better anaesthesia care.

Fellow of the Month video by Nina Taule Lim

WFSA fellowships:

  • Develop specialised skills: Fellows receive advanced, specialised training. WFSA offers fellowships in 8 different specialties, from paediatric anaesthesia to neuro-anaesthesia.
  • Improve patient safety: with a focus on global standards and context-specific approaches, fellows improve patient safety by adopting and promoting best practices.
  • Address workforce shortages and build capacity: by equipping anaesthesia providers and training future trainers, fellowships help drive long-term, sustainable, safe anaesthesia access.

To read more testimonials from WFSA fellows, have a look at our Fellow of the Month articles

Paediatric Anaesthesia Training in Africa (PATA)

One of the fellowships offered by WFSA is the Paediatric Anaesthesia Training in Africa (PATA) programme.

PATA addresses an alarming reality: children in Africa are 100-200 times more likely to die after surgery than their peers in high-income countries, with evidence showing that anaesthesia-related deaths are a major contributing factor to child mortality rates.

A shortage of skilled anaesthesia providers, particularly those with specialised training in paediatric anaesthesia leadership, is a significant challenge.

The PATA programme:

  • Provides a 12-month paediatric anaesthesia fellowship to anaesthesia providers in Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria, and Uganda.
  • Equips fellows with specialised training to care for the millions of children requiring surgery each year.
  • Develops leaders who return to their home countries to mentor others and strengthen local healthcare systems.

The impact:

  • In its first five years, PATA will increase the number of trained paediatric anaesthesiologists in participating countries by over 200%.
  • More than 3 million children will benefit from the expertise of PATA-trained anaesthesiologists.
  • Over 500 non-physician anaesthesia professionals will gain critical training, further amplifying the programme’s reach.

Your support makes a difference

WFSA Fellowships are provided at no cost to the fellows, ensuring accessibility regardless of financial background. Donations cover essential expenses such as tuition, travel, and accommodation, enabling fellows to focus entirely on their training.

A contribution of $100 supports a fellow’s education for an entire month, larger gifts can fund the full duration of a fellowship or expand programmes like PATA to reach even more providers and patients. So please donate today.

Every donation helps train skilled anaesthesia providers who will save lives, ease pain, and strengthen healthcare systems. With your support, we can work towards a future where safe anaesthesia is available to everyone.

Cover photos, left to right: Dr Amos Zacharia watching a simulation (PATA programme), Dr Tun Tun Hlaing, General Anaesthesia Fellow, paediatric anaesthesia fellow Dr Ewurabena Lydia Apraku-Peprah

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