The WFSA Scientific Affairs
Committee was created four years ago during the last WCA in Cape Town. The aim
was to promote a WFSA strategy in the field of scientific communication and
research in cooperation with other WFSA committees. Several activities were
developed during this period.

WFSA Symposia during regional congresses.

 Starting with the SAARC Congress on February
2009 in Karachi, such symposia were organised regularly on the base of two or
three per years. In June 2010 a first WFSA symposium took place during the
Euroanaesthesia Congress in Helsinki on “Prevention of postoperative pain”, a
second one in 2011 during the Euroanaesthesia in Amsterdam, on “Anaesthesiologists
wellbeing” and a third one will be held during the next Euroanaesthesia 2012 in
Paris on “Psychological approach of the patient and their family” associated to
a joint symposium WFSA-ESA on “Working together for education in anaesthesia”.
These symposia organised in the frame of the European section are becoming a
tradition which will be continued. All these symposia were very successful with
more than 400 participants. On September 2010, another WFSA symposium was held
in Moscow on “Safety in anaesthesia” during the Congress of the Russian
Federation. A symposium during the Pan Arab Congress 2010 to be held in
Damascus, Syria, was cancelled at the last moment due to tragic events.

These symposia constitute an opportunity to
show the WFSA presence and activities and to strengthen the links with its
regional sections.

WFSA support and attribution of logo.

 Several society members have requested the endorsement of congresses or
courses by the WFSA. The WFSA is unable to bring a financial support but can
indicate its interest and help the promotion of the event by attribution of the
logo, insertion in World Anaesthesia and implementation of the announcement on
the website. This support implies an agreement from the Scientific Affairs
Committee delivered, according guidelines, after consultation of its member on
presentation of the programme, topics and faculty.

 Educational material

 One purpose of the committee was to provide some educational material. A
tool-kit on quality assurance and evaluation of professional practice was developed
in English and proposed for implementation on the website and production of a
CD to be distributed to the anaesthesia departments. For unknown reasons the
dispatching of this work remains up to-day in stand-by. Nevertheless the
production of scientific material remains an objective for the next years.

Assistance to prepare congresses programmes.

 The Scientific Affairs Committee brought its
help to select speakers and topics for the WCA 2012 in Buenos Aires, especially
with a visit of its chairman in July 2010 to finalise the preliminary programme
for the first announcement.

In
our mind such cooperation with the local organising committee must be scheduled
a long time in advance and the Scientific Committee role enhanced, especially
if the frequency of the WCA is increased. The participation of the committee to
the WCA preparation must not remain purely theoretical and a clear repartition
of the roles must be determined by the ExCo and the Management Group.

WFSA Research grants.

  For the first year three grants of 8000 US$ each have been provided to
young researchers according to the rules for application and selection
implemented on the website and sent to the National Societies. The winners for
the year 2011, Angelina VAKHLYAEVA, from Russia, Ruslan BALTAGA from Moldova
and Yun-tai YAO, from China, have received their grant. According to the
Management Group agreement a call for three new applications will be announced
for 2012.

In
conclusion, WFSA needed to have a Scientific Affairs Committee which has
started its activities modestly, but effectively, during these four first years
of existence, thanks to the participation of its members. There is a very
important potential of development depending of financial abilities, but
moreover of the will to extend its missions especially in the prospect of the
WCA renewal.

Philippe
SCHERPEREEL,

And
the Scientific Affairs Committee members.