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The Anaesthetic Facility Assessment Tool (AFAT 2.0)

The Anaesthetic Facility Assessment Tool (AFAT) is an inventory tool for the assessment of anaesthetic capacity i.e. the ability of a health facility to safely deliver anaesthesia care. It is built on the WHO-WFSA International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anaesthesia and other published anaesthesia capacity inventory tools.

The AFAT includes data on the anaesthesia workforce, equipment, medicines, and practice at the facility level. It can be used for a single facility or for regional or national assessments and planning (see https://wfsahq.org/resources/surgery-metrics/). The data collected may also be useful for lobbying and publication.

To date, AFAT has been used in seven published studies across four countries—Uganda, Liberia, Guatemala, and Pakistan—covering 318 hospitals that offer anesthesia services. Additionally, modified versions of the tool have been applied in unpublished studies in over 40 countries and more than 700 facilities, including early surveys in Nicaragua and Guatemala.

Data Collection and Entry:

Data collection can occur in three potential ways:

  1. Data can be collected on paper forms (links to PDFs for printing are below). Once data forms are completed, you can manually enter the data into the WFSA RedCap database. To receive the link for data entry using a computer, please click the green button below. (Requires Internet)
  2. Data can be entered directly online (as it is collected) into the WFSA RedCap database online using either a computer or tablet. To receive the link for data entry using a computer, please click the green button below. If you choose to use direct data entry via tablet, please contact comms@wfsahq.org prior to data collection in order to receive tablet setup instructions. (Requires Internet)
  3. Data can be collected on paper forms (links below) and entered into your database of choice for analysis and not shared in the WFSA RedCap database.

All data entered online will be stored in a secure RedCap database, jointly maintained by the WFSA and the UCSF Anesthesia Division of Global Health Equity.

 The survey form can be downloaded as a PDF here:

French and Spanish language versions of this will be available shortly.

We encourage the use of the entire inventory to provide a comprehensive picture of facilities; however, each section is presented on a separate page, making the tool modular and allowing users to select only those sections relevant to a specific use case.

Contact Us

Access to a REDCap version of AFAT may be feasible through WFSA’s partnership with the UCSF Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia.

WFSA also welcomes collaboration to translate the tool into additional languages and can provide guidance on its use. We are keen to understand who is interested in, or has used, this and similar tools so that we can share updates and further support.

For enquiries about translation, use of the tool, or REDCap access, please contact comms@wfsahq.org, including your name, email, and WhatsApp number.

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