Anaesthesia Society in Malawi
Building Capacity Collaboratively
Supported by Life Support Foundation, The Society of Anaesthesiologists in Malawi held their first Annual National Conference on the 19th-20th August 2017 in Blantyre. The theme was “Saving the Lives of Mothers: Obstetric Anaesthesia & Critical Care in Malawi”
Addressing Maternal Mortality Crisis
Anaesthesia & Intensive Care in Malawi has been under-prioritised. For the 17 million population, there are only four anaesthesiologists and 25 intensive care beds. The maternal mortality ratio is high – 634 per 100,000 live births, compared to 398 in Tanzania and 4 in Sweden, according to WHO Statistics 2016.
To advance the specialty, the recently established Society of Anaesthesiologists is planning annual conferences:
“National meetings are vital to provide refresher training for anaesthesia practitioners from the whole country, to connect anaesthetists with each other and to boost morale."
"This is a real opportunity to build capacity within Anaesthesia & Intensive Care in Malawi, and develop this vital specialty”
