WFSA Member Society Newsletter: July 2025
Minutes of 29 June 2025 General Assembly
The draft minutes are now available to review on our website where you can also download copies of the slides shown at the meeting.
UIA Edition on Workforce Well-Being
We are pleased to announce the release of Update in Anaesthesia (UIA) Volume 39, a special issue focused on a topic of growing importance: The well-being of the global anaesthesiology workforce. At the centre of this Volume is a guest editorial by Dr Susan Nicoll, Chair of WFSA’s Workforce Well-Being Committee, entitled ‘Guardians of Sleep – Well-being and Distress in the Global Anaesthesiology Workforce.
WFSA Committee Nominations 2026-28
A reminder that nominations are open for our 10 Permanent (Standing) Committees and we welcome applications to serve on these from members of any of our Member Societies in good standing. Nominations will close on 31 August, and all the information is available online.
Distinguished Service & Rising Star Awards
Nominations are open until 31 August. We encourage all Member Societies to consider nominating candidates for these:
• Do you know a Rising Star in anaesthesiology? Nominate them for the WFSA Rising Star Award
• Now open: Nominations for WFSA Distinguished Service Award
Virtual Library sign-in
We’ve added a simple sign-in feature to the WFSA Virtual Library to help us better understand who’s using it and tailor content to their needs. From now on, users will need to create a free account to access the full range of resources. It’s a quick and easy process that takes less than a minute. This video explains how to set up your free account.
New partnership with Smile Train
We are excited to announce a new one-year partnership with Smile Train, one of the world’s leading cleft lip and palate disease organisations, starting on 1 July.
We are grateful for Smile Train’s ongoing support for our paediatric anaesthesia fellowships, as well as their commitment to bring early career colleagues to Marrakech to benefit from the scientific programme and networking offered at WCA2026.
Landscape of anaesthesiology training programmes – survey invitation
We are pleased to invite you to participate in a global initiative aimed at better understanding the current landscape of anaesthesiology training programmes worldwide. This seeks to identify opportunities, strengths, and key challenges faced by residents/trainees across different regions. The results of this survey will inform future educational, advocacy, and support strategies within WFSA and its Member Societies.
Please share the survey link with your residents/trainees via email, your website, and/or social media. Participation is anonymous and voluntary, and the survey should take approximately 10–15 minutes to complete: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XPMXFYJ
WCA2026 update
With just two weeks left until the Round 1 abstract deadline (31 July), now is the time to submit your research for WCA2026. Whether your work is clinical, scientific, or focused on innovation in anaesthesia, successful abstracts will be presented as e-posters and published in Anesthesia & Analgesia. All submissions are automatically considered for competitions and prizes – including $1,000 awards and free registration to WCA2028 for the top entries. You can find out more and submit here.
Later this month, don’t miss our next WCA2026 Webinar: Perioperative Medicine – The Role of Prehabilitation in Perioperative Care, taking place on Wednesday 30 July at 12:30 CET. Explore the rationale, components, and effectiveness of multimodal prehabilitation in surgical pathways.
And if you haven’t started planning your trip yet, now’s the perfect time to explore the vibrant host city of Marrakech, Morocco. Known as the Red City for its distinctive clay buildings, Marrakech offers a sensory journey through spice-scented souks, peaceful riads, and lively squares. Whether you’re wandering through the Jardin Majorelle, relaxing in a hammam, or exploring the Sahara on a day trip, Marrakech promises a rich and memorable experience for all delegates.
Endorsements
WFSA is pleased to have recently endorsed two Declarations put out by ESAIC: The Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety 2.0 and the Mellin-Olsen declaration on diversity, equity and inclusion.
Recent & upcoming events
• The inaugural SAFE Paediatrics Cleft training was successfully held in Nigeria in early July, conducted simultaneously in Lagos and Abuja. This was coordinated nationally by Professor Ronke Desalu, President of the Paediatric Anaesthesia Society of Nigeria and locally by Dr Maryrose Osazuwa in Abuja. The course brought together 62 physician anaesthesiologists to strengthen cleft care and was funded by Smile Train.
• We had a very successful webinar on 15 July all about how you can engage with WFSA; from Committee service to supporting our educational projects and products. You can view the recording online.
• Earlier this month we also had a special webinar on PBM focused on perioperative haemostasis and transfusion management in older adults, as well as a further annual theme webinar entitled ‘The Role of Anaesthesiologists in Disaster Management – part 2’.
• Meanwhile the monthly programme of WCA2026 webinars have continued with the latest centred on professional practice. The recordings of these are available on the congress website.
• From 20 July, WFSA Secretary Dr Balavenkat headed up a delegation from APSF India to Tanzania to hold a series of workshops, lectures and masterclasses in collaboration with that country’s society of anaesthesiology.
• We celebrated World Brain Health Day on 22 July with a joint webinar with SNACC. This focused on the perioperative challenges for preserving brain health.
• Coming up on 1 August is the 62nd annual scientific congress of our Malaysian Society.
• The Pacific Society’s Annual Refresher Course takes place in Nadi on 18-22 August. This year’s focus is on ‘sustainability and anaesthesia in the Pacific’.
• Finally, at the end of August, our Colombian Society SCARE organises its annual congress in Medellin, co-located with the second obstetric anaesthesia world congress.
As a reminder, recordings of all our webinars and online events can be accessed online on our website Webinars – WFSA.
Contact Elizabeth Thompson for any queries or further information.