A society for cardiothoracic surgeons in Africa and in diaspora

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Background

Pan-African Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery (PASCATS) was founded on June 12, 2011 and registered in Berlin, Germany on December 19, 2011. It was recognized as a non-profit, charity organization on 21 March 2012 by the Tax Office in Berlin Germany.
It was formally constituted from the African Heart Seminar (AHS), becoming the organization representing the professional interests of all cardiothoracic surgeons on the continent and in the diaspora. The predecessor organization, the African Heart Seminar (AHS) was founded by Professor Charles Yankah, German Heart Centre Berlin and Dr Willie Koen, Cape Town in 2004 in Cape Town, South Africa, following the successful start up of an artificial heart program for bridge to heart transplantation during 2000 and 2001 at the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital, Cape Town.

The mission and aim was to create more awareness of emerging cardiovascular disease in the regions in Africa where cardiovascular health care was underdeveloped. It was also aimed at sharing information about the latest developments and advances in the field of cardiovascular medicine, echocardiographic imaging and diagnostics of cardiovascular diseases and surgery to doctors in all parts of Africa.

This initiative has really grown as a pure outreach project in Africa and has become a Pan- African cardiovascular health care project which has given birth to Afroecho 2011.

A further key aim is to initiate networking among cardiovascular physicians in Africa, in diaspora and the international community of cardiovascular physicians interested in cardiovascular health care in Africa and thereby sharing a wealth of medical experience which has never been utilised to its potential.

Pan-African Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery aims at bringing together active individual cardiothoracic surgeons of the international community including those practicing in Africa and in diaspora who contribute to cardiothoracic surgical practice and science to share their knowledge with the local teams and health authorities.

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Aims and Objectives are to:

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Objectives

• Promote contemporary surgical procedures relating to the treatment of cardiothoracic and vascular disease.

• Promote skill training programs on biological and artificial simulators for the next generation of cardiac  surgeons through mentorship and scholarships.

• To develop low budget cardiovascular surgery techniques to provide more access to affordable cardiac surgery services.

• Promote data collection to establish a data base for effective clinical and research work.

• Promote on-site and tele-education, transfer of know-how and training and capacity

  strengthening programs in cardiothoracic surgery, to develop colleagues’ own

  expertise, to establish and maintain standards for cardiothoracic surgery.

• Promote a network among members in diaspora and from the international surgical

  community for transfer of knowledge and know-how in the field of cardiothoracic surgery and science. This includes a task force of surgical missions to support self- help projects to reactivate existing cardiovascular programs. PASCATS will not be responsible for funding missions but would facilitate sponsored manpower for self-help cardiovascular programs.

• Provide the opportunity to develop leadership in the field of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery.

• Share guidelines for cardiovascular disease management and encourage cardiovascular research.

• To promote south-south development cooperation in cardiology and cardiac surgery to enhance cross border cardiovascular health care.

• To support national and cross border awareness advocacy and eradication programs of rheumatic heart disease in sub-Saharan Africa

• Promote, represent and protect the professional interests of cardiothoracic surgeons. Establish a Research Foundation, which will promote cardiovascular research and

  education on the continent.