World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists ®

The biggest World Congress of Anaesthesiologists in history is over.

Some data on it include:
9,490 delegates (including 590 speakers) from 125 countries
Over 620 sessions (30% with simultaneous translation into Spanish and Portuguese)
756 digital posters
39 workshops on 11 different topics in English and Spanish with the participation of 2,600 delegates

114 exhibiting companies

During the Congress, the plenary "Harold Griffith" Symposium was held. This time the main topic was the Lifebox project, created to fill the pulse oximetry deficit in the world. The original idea began in the WFSA. Now an independent Foundation has been created which is closely related to the World Federation. At the end of the symposium, Drs. Alan Merry and Iain Wilson were each awarded the Harold Griffith medal by Dr. Angela Enright (President of the WFSA).

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There was also intense work with committee meetings and general assemblies of Societies´ delegates. During the latter Dr. David Wilkinson, outgoing secretary, presented his report on some aspects of the activities carried out between 2008 and 2012. He highlighted the intensity of the work of the Management Group, the Executive Committee, the Administrative Secretary and all other committees that make up the network operation of the WFSA.

Subsequently, the outgoing president Dr. Angela Enright, presented her report. First she recalled the mission of the WFSA:
“WFSA unites anaesthesiologists around the world for the enhancement of patient care”

And then the Vision of the WFSA:
“The WFSA is the foremost alliance of Anaesthesiologists, working together with national, regional, and specialty organizations, to facilitate outreach, and to promote the highest standards of patient care.”

She also stressed that to achieve this, the WFSA works with National and Regional Anesthesia Societies such as CLASA, ESA, African Regional Section, Asian and Australasian Regional Section but also with other organizations (IARS, APSF, PTC, WHO, IASP, FIGO and many others).

Communication with the National Societies and all affiliated members has been improved and includes Newsletters, Publications, Website, Facebook, Twitter, Emails and WFSA presence at meetings.

Educational facilities have also increased in recent years, using basic and subspecialty training programmes, innovative programmes eg ISIA, Workshops, Update in Anaesthesia, Tutorial of the Week and CD ROMs

There are training centers in the world sponsored in whole or in part by the WFSA in conjunction with national and regional societies. The current centers are located in Bangkok, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Fortaleza, Hong Kong, Jerusalem, Santiago, Singapore, Tel Aviv, Tunis and Vellore. They provide education in the areas of Cardiac, Intensive Care, Obstetrics, Paediatrics, Pain and Regional Anesthesia.
The Teach the Teachers Courses, developed to improve teaching techniques, included up to now young teachers from 22 countries.

She also stressed the importance of publications with translations into several languages, the role of the WFSA to support young researchers, the publication and review of anesthesia safety standards and the creation of a standing committee on occupational health.

Finally she highlighted the achievements of the Lifebox project, brainchild of the WFSA, which is focused on covering the deficit of pulse oximetry in the operating rooms of the world.

Dr. Mark Lema, Treasurer of the WFSA presented his report highlighting that the WFSA invested over a million dollars on education and training between 2008 and 2012. Likewise there is honorary faculty work worldwide generating contributions and donations that represent at least seven times that value (very likely an underestimated figure).

After announcing the new members of the committees and the uncontested positions of the management group, elections for the executive committee members and the new president were held.

The new president elected for the period 2012-2016 is Dr. David Wilkinson from the United Kingdom.

Many social activities during the conference allowed great fellowship between anesthesiologists and guests from all over the globe.

In the closing ceremony, the organizing committee of the next World Congress (Hong Kong 2016) presented highlights of this future congress.

This ceremony closed a spectacular World Congress which clearly showed the importance and the global reach of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA), which comprises 128 member societies worldwide.

Special thanks to the Argentinian Federation of Anaesthesia for such an impressive well organized congress.

We wait for you in Hong Kong 2016 for the 16^th world Congress of Anaesthesiologists!

Gonzalo Barreiro

Honorary Secretary WFSA