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WFNS Foundation – Letter from the Chairman |
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Dear Friends of the WFNS Societies:
The WFNS Foundation was created in with the mission to improve neurosurgical care and education around the world, with obvious emphasis in developing countries. The visionary accomplishment of the previous WFNS Foundation leaders (Professors Martin Rodriguez, Samii, Basso) led to a broad spectrum of fruitful actions that contributed to help thousands of neurosurgeons around the world.
One of our main goals is education. At present there is a network of more than 30 centers contributing to the education of young colleagues in different ways (see the whole list at www.WFNS.org . An important modality is the WFNS Full Training Centers. Young physicians are trained in neurosurgical units in Africa and Latin-America during a five years period with scholarships provided by the WFNS Foundation. After finishing this period of neurosurgical training, they work in developing areas that sometimes have never had neurosurgical care. The WFNS Foundation has the commitment to equip nascent units and reinforce those previously working with a lack of appropriate neurosurgical armamentarium. Another modality is the WFNS Postgraduate Training Centers. Neurosurgical Units in Europe, America, and Asia admit neurosurgical trainees from developing countries to spend a three to-six month fellowship period, waiving food, accommodation and/or scholarship. A new modality has been recently incorporated by the Italian Society. Neurosurgical. Residents are going to be trained during several weeks in units with special dedication to specific topics like Spine or Head Injury.
The success of the aforementioned programs led to a very high increase in the number of applications. We are sure that there are hundreds of units of excellence all around the world that are very willing to be incorporated in this Foundation network. The basic requirements to become a WFNS Postgraduate Training Center include local accreditation for the training program in Neurosurgery and some help regarding food and accommodation and/or scholarship for the young colleagues. Any further initiative is absolutely appreciated and welcome. This letter intends to recruit as many centers as possible for this wonderful project.
Another important aspect of the mission of the WFNS Foundation aims to provide neurosurgical sets and instruments for developing countries with suboptimal equipment. Instruments (spinal and cranial sets), microscopes, endoscopes, drills, and shunts are delivered by the WFNS Foundation after being purchased at special prices thanks to the generosity of many neurosurgical companies and our donors. The current commitment of the WFNS Foundation is to fully equip any OR to be run by a WFNS Foundation resident in certain developing areas after completion of his program. These actions are combined with ongoing specific projects like the “Hydrocephalus Project” (run by Professors E. di Rocco and M. Choux) and the forthcoming “Head Injury Project”, an initiative of our President-Elect, Prof. F. Servadei.
Linked to these initiatives is another Foundation project (“Global Neurosurgical Map”) trying to identify countries and areas without neurosurgical care, a really high priority, and also countries and areas with neurosurgical care but considered clearly suboptimal. Dr. Kee Park is working very hard on it. Once this map has been established, a further phase would include a “Country to Country Partnership”. Volunteer societies would exert patronage linked to one specific country or large underdeveloped region. It would include neurosurgical aid on site and also exchange of foreign physicians of their referral area for CME.
Fundraising is a main concern. Prof. Yoko Kato and Scott Robertson are working in the Fundraising Committee, and any help through donations is extremely well appreciated. From the financial point of view we are very proud to let you know that the members of the WFNS Foundation Executive Board do not receive any stipend or economic compensation for their activities. Travel expenses are completely paid from their pocket. The new WFNS website (about to be launched shortly) will include a link to get access to the full detailed financial reports of WFNS Foundation & Federation.
Dear friends, this letter tries to make our constituent societies and their members aware of the current directions of the WFNS Foundation with the hope that all of them stimulate your contributions and generosity in any of the projects. We are very willing to receive any idea or initiative addressed to me or to our Central Office (Ms. Teresa Chen teresachen@wfns.org ).
With kindest regards and appreciation,
Miguel A. Arraez
Chairman of the Executive Board
WFNS Foundation |
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