The College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) is non-profit making professional body that fosters postgraduate education in surgery and provides surgical training throughout the East, Central and Southern Africa region. The College delivers a common surgical training programme with a common examination and an internationally recognized surgical qualification in its Membership programme in Basic Surgery and Fellowship Programme in Orthopedics; Pediatric orthopedics; Otorhinolaryngology; Urology; Pediatric Surgery; Neurosurgery; Cardiothoracic; Plastic Surgery and General Surgery.
The college has created a training pathway which harnesses existing, but often underutilized resources (hospitals and surgeons) for surgical training. In addition to advancing education and training, the college is also involved in advancing standards of practice and research in surgical care. The College currently operates 14 countries in the Sub-Saharan region: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Botswana.
COSECSA’s primary objective is to advance education, training, standards, research & practice in surgical care in this region. COSECSA shapes and leads the training of surgeons in the Sub-Saharan region. The college delivers a common surgical training programme with a common examination and an internationally recognised surgical qualification. Admission to the College is open to all registered medical practitioners who comply with the professional requirements for admission.
To achieve this vision, COSECSA has set the following objectives:
- To promote the honour and dignity of the surgical and allied health professions and to ensure that the highest ethical standards in the practice of surgery are maintained throughout the region.
- To organise a common training programme in recognised institutions and to organise examinations of candidates for admission to the College in the various disciplines of surgery.
- To promote and encourage postgraduate education and research in surgery which is relevant to the region.
- To organise workshops, seminars, lectures, and conferences which regularly bring together Members and Fellows of the College to advance the science and practice of surgery in the region.