Welcome to the College of Family Physicians of East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA-CFP)

We are a professional body dedicated to transforming primary healthcare in the East, Central, and Southern Africa (ECSA) region. The College formally came into existence in June 2024 after receiving approval from the Health Ministers Conference to become a Constituent College of the ECSA College of Health Sciences under the East Central and Southern African Health Community, based in Arusha Tanzania.  Following the example of other medical specialties (College of Surgeons of ECSA, College of Anaesthetists of ECSA, ECSA College of Physicians, etc) ECSA-CFP is setting up a regional FM training programme to be undertaken in designated training institutes in the ECSA region, with a common exam and award of an internationally recognised FM qualification. By so doing, we will be able to share expertise and resources in the region, supported by colleagues in South Africa, the South African College of FPs and PRIMAFAMED. Our goal is to strengthen the health workforce by training Family Physicians (FPs) through high-quality education, research, and advocacy.

Vision: To lead the transformation of primary healthcare in the ECSA region by providing world-class education, training, and research in Family Medicine.

Mission:

  • Increase the availability of specialist Family Physicians through rigorous postgraduate training and assessments.
  • Foster collaboration and expertise sharing among Family Medicine training programs.
  • Improve healthcare outcomes with continuous, comprehensive, and person-centred care.

Our Approach:

We deliver innovative, evidence-based curricula tailored to the region’s healthcare needs, emphasizing critical thinking and lifelong learning. Through partnerships with universities, medical schools, and healthcare institutions, we expand training programs, prioritize workplace-based and distance learning, and ensure high-quality clinical mentorship.

Objectives:

We advance Family Medicine by

  1. Training and assessing Family Physicians to deliver compassionate, holistic care.
  2. Promoting research, quality improvement, and ethical practice.
  3. Standardizing curricula, accrediting training institutions, and fostering collaboration.
  4. Advocating for Family Physicians’ roles in primary care and district hospitals.

Commitment:

By producing clinically competent, compassionate Family Physicians, we aim to improve healthcare for individuals, families, and communities, fostering equitable and person-centred care across the ECSA region.

Office bearers and contacts:

Executive Committee

President: Dr Innocent Besigye (Uganda)

Registrar: Dr Jacob Shabani (Kenya)

Treasurer: Dr Mpundu Makasa Chikoyu (Zambia)

Secretary General: Dr Martha Makwero (Malawi) 

Contact:  email mmakwero@kuhes.ac.mw; WhatsApp+265 884 11 13 12

Chair Education & Scientific Research Committee: Dr Hussein Ellias

Chair Finance & Fundraising Committee: Dr Phillip Mubonga

Chair Examinations & Accreditation Committee: Dr Evaristo Kunka

Interim coordinator: Prof Sunanda Ray (Botswana)

For enquiries about registering as a Founding Fellow please contact 

Dr Jacob Shabani at jacob.shabani@aku.edu

 

Bibliography

  1. Ray, Sunanda, and Farai D. Madzimbamuto. “Proposal to set up a college of family medicine in East, Central and Southern Africa.” African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine 14.1 (2022): 1-4.
  2. Besigye, Innocent K., et al. “Next steps for the East, Central and Southern Africa College of Family Physicians (ECSA-CFP).” African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine 16.1 (2024): 1-2.
  3. Namatovu, Jane F., and Innocent K. Besigye. “The road to defining African family medicine core values.” African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine 16.1 (2024): 1-2.
  4. Mash, Robert, et al. “Family Medicine Education and Training in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Family Medicine 57.5 (2025): 342-348.
  5. Mash, Robert. “The contribution of family medicine to African health systems.” African journal of primary health care & family medicine 8.1 (2016): 1-2.
  6. Flinkenflögel, Maaike, et al. “A scoping review on family medicine in sub-Saharan Africa: Practice, positioning and impact in African health care systems.” Human resources for health 18 (2020): 1-18.
  7. Mash, Robert, et al. “Reflections on family medicine and primary healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa.” BMJ Global Health 3.Suppl 3 (2018): e000662.
  8. Von Pressentin, Klaus B., et al. “The perceived impact of family physicians on the district health system in South Africa: a cross-sectional survey.” BMC Family Practice 19 (2018): 1-10.
  9. Mash, Robert J., Klaus B. Von Pressentin, and Tonya M. Esterhuizen. “Examining the influence of family physician supply on district health system performance in South Africa: An ecological analysis of key health indicators.” African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine 9.1 (2017): 1-10.
  10. Mash, Robert, and Klaus B. Von Pressentin. “Strengthening the district health system through family physicians.” South African health review 2018.1 (2018): 33-39.
  11. Chinhoyi, Rekai L., Moleen Zunza, and Klaus B. Von Pressentin. “The impact of family physician supply on district health system performance, clinical processes and clinical outcomes in the Western Cape Province, South Africa (2011–2014).” African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine 10.1 (2018): 1-10.
  12. Von Pressentin, Klaus B., et al. “Identifying research gaps and priorities for African family medicine and primary health care.” African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine 16.1 (2024): 4534.
  13. Tsima, Billy M., et al. “Family physicians as advocates for primary health care in Botswana.” African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine 17.1 (2025): 1-4.