In 2025, WFSA celebrates 70 years of global collaboration to realise universal access to safe anaesthesia care
Founded in 1955 during the first World Congress of Anaesthesiologists, WFSA has grown from 26 initial members into the foremost global alliance of anaesthesiologists with 142 Member Societies representing 151 countries. Its mission is to unite and empower anaesthesiologists around the world to improve patient care.
Over the past seven decades, WFSA has played a crucial role in education, training, and advocacy. Initiatives such as the Anaesthesia Tutorial of the Week and the WFSA Fellowship Programme have provided essential learning resources and hands-on training for anaesthesia professionals, particularly in low-resource settings.
WFSA’s official relations with the World Health Organization have led to the development of an array of international anaesthesia safety standards, further improving patient care worldwide. We remain anaesthesiology’s voice on the global advocacy stage at convenings like the World Health Assembly and other UN High-Level meetings.
The Federation has also conducted vital research, including the Global Anaesthesia Workforce Survey, highlighting the urgent need for more trained anaesthesia professionals. Through our now biennial World Congress of Anaesthesiologists, WFSA fosters innovation and collaboration, shaping the future of the field.
We mark this milestone by remaining committed to our mission of ensuring equitable access to safe anaesthesia. We extend our sincere gratitude to our tireless volunteers, Member Societies, and partner organisations for their invaluable support over the years; their dedication has been instrumental to our work of improving patient safety in all corners of the world.
The need to keep collaborating to achieve WFSA’s vision of Universal Access to Safe Anaesthesia is just as vital as ever, and together, we can continue to make a lasting impact.
The 70th anniversary is not just a celebration of past achievements but a renewed pledge to continue advancing anaesthesia care for generations to come. We look forward to sharing snippets from our history on this page during 2025, including a new initiative of oral history interviews with past WFSA leaders.
Please consider donating today to support WFSA’s mission to improve anesthesia care worldwide
