Background Information

Australian Doctors for Africa (ADFA) operates in a challenging but rewarding environment. The organistion has a commitment to effect significant change in health care and well-being in Madagascar, Somalia and Ethiopia through the financial and health investment of overseas medical teams, services and assistance. It has set those countries and locations on course for a more stable future through ADFA assistance.

Established in November 2005, ADFA is a non-profit community based organisation with its headquarters located in Perth, Western Australia. It has no political affiliations. The goals of ADFA are to provide medical supplies, equipment, consult, undertake surgical procedures, disseminate best practice in health care, up skill, in-service and teach local medical and hospital staff and to assess future training needs of local staff to build capacity and maintain sustainable programmes and projects.

The growth of ADFA has been phenomenally successful since its inception. The organisation currently operates in Somalia (Somaliland and Puntland), Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) and in Madagascar (Tulear and Antananarivo). Overall, it operates in twelve (12) different hospitals in those countries at least twice a year.

The cornerstone of ADFA commitment is to provide medical teams and to furnish medical assistance to support those locations. A medical team typically comprises orthopaedic surgeon/s, an anaesthetist and theatre nurses with additional specialised support incorporated into the team such as a gastroenterologist, urologist, plaster technician or general practitioner.

Through commitment to its themes of sustainable improvement, making change and addressing a need, ADFA makes a significant contribution to general health care through its projects to reach children, the excluded, disadvantaged, poor and vulnerable populations and extends its hand of friendship and expertise from Western Australia to connect with its Indian Ocean neighbours.