Introduction:
The Federation of African Medical Physics Organizations (FAMPO) is the regional federation of the International Organization for Medical Physicists (IOMP) in Africa. The Federation was established in December 2009 to promote the application of physics in medicine in the Africa region.
Activities of FAMPO are extended throughout Africa and the local Islands in the region. Currently, the Federation has membership from 30 countries within the region. National Member Organizations (NMO’s) are Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, South-Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The remaining countries at present do not have the critical mass to establish NMOs. These include Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Zambia.
At present, only a handful of countries in Africa (e.g., Ghana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) have legislative recognition of Medical Physics as a health profession.
Activities Over the Past 1 Year:
In the past 1 year, below listed major activities are being/have been undertaken:
1. Establishment of the FAMPO Secretariat
FAMPO secretariat, located in Accra, Ghana, has now been furnished and fully functional.
2. FAMPO Council Meeting
FAMPO Council meeting has been scheduled for 09 June 2022, prior to the IUPESM WC2022.
3. FAMPO Journal
African Journal of Medical Physics (AJMP), the Federation’s official journal, has released two issues in the last year. We encourage the submission of good articles by MPs from Africa and beyond to the journal. (https://globalmedicalphysics.org/)
4. Publication of Triannual Newsletter
The Federation has continued its triannual release of the FAMPO newsletter. The newsletters highlight most of the important developments and programmes on medical physics in Africa.
5. Certification/Registration of FAMPO Physicists
The Professional Development Committee is finalizing the implementation of the FAMPO certification/registration processes. The first set of certified/registered MPs is set to receive their certificates by end of May 2022.
6. Regional Conference of Medical Physics
The First Regional Conference on Medical Physics will be staged in Marrakech, Morocco from 10 – 12 November 2022. The event will bring together medical physicists from all over Africa and beyond for knowledge sharing, networking, and set the scene for discussions on regional-based solutions to peculiar challenges faced by medical physicists in Africa.
First announcement has been made. https://fampo-africa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/First-Announcement-1st-REGIONAL-CONFERENCE-OF-FAMPO-Marrakech2022.pdf
Achievements:
- Fully functional FAMPO Secretariat was established in Accra, Ghana.
- FAMPO Journal and triannual newsletter.
- Implementation of FAMPO certification/registration sheme.
- Advancing the hosting of the first FAMPO regional conference in 2022.
Challenges:
- Recognition and placement of Medical Physicists are still a challenge in most countries.
- Payment of membership subscription by member/individuals
Future Plans
- Fund raising initiative to support the execution of the organization’s activities.
- Liaise with IAEA to identify more universities/centres for academic and clinical training of medical physicists in Africa.
Prepared by,
DR. FRANCIS HASFORD
DR. STEPHEN INKOOM
DR. CHRISTOPH TRAUERNICHT
15 May 2022