Who we are

Established in 2005, Australian Doctors for Africa (ADFA) is a not-for-profit organisation with its headquarters located in Perth, Western Australia, with no political or religious affiliations.

ADFA plays a critical role in providing medical assistance and training in Madagascar, Ethiopia, Somaliland and Comoros through its volunteer medical assignments.

Mission

To develop healthier environments and to build capacity through the provision of voluntary medical assistance; training and teaching doctors, nurses and allied health workers; and improving infrastructure and providing medical equipment.

Our Approach

The organisation is guided by a 5-year Strategic Plan adopted by the Board in May 2023.

The cornerstone of ADFA commitment will always be volunteer medical specialists providing training, medical assistance and support to vulnerable communities in Africa.

In our target regions we have established strong collaborations and stakeholder networks with Ministers, Government Departments, medical facilities, other aid organisations and the wider community.

What We Do

Medical Service Provision: Our teams of volunteer medical specialists provide treatment and surgery to those most in need in the areas of orthopaedics, clubfoot, gastroenterology, urology, gynaecology/obstetrics, ENT and paediatric surgery.

Skills Transfer and Training: Each overseas medical assignment  has a strong focus on training and mentoring of local medical personnel. This may be through observation of a procedure, formal training sessions or structured teaching programs such as the Nurses Training Program or Basic Orthopaedic Management Course in Trauma.  ADFA also provides a scholarship program to assist Somaliland doctors to access specialist training, mainly in Ethiopia, and to support medical students in Hargeisa.

Hospital Infrastructure Development:  ADFA supports the construction or renovation of existing infrastructure, and provision of medical equipment and supplies.

Advanced Development: Well-established Clubfoot Programs in Madagascar and Somaliland have significantly progressed the early screening and treatment of clubfoot. With the training of in-country technicians and establishment of clubfoot clinics the debilitating condition can now be detected at a very early age and successfully treated. ADFA has participated in strategic planning and collaboration to progress the provision of orthopaedics, gastroenterology and clubfoot.  We have strong relationships with government agencies and in-country partners, such as hospitals and NGOs.

Our Commitments

ADFA is committed to full adherence with the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Code of Conduct and the ACFID Fundraising Charter.  These are our Commitments.