About Us
Who We Are
The African Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery (ASPCHS) is the leading scientific society uniting pediatric and congenital heart surgeons and allied specialists from across Africa.
ASPCHS was founded in May 2020 following a historic Africa-focused town hall meeting initiated by the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery (WSPCHS). It was formed through close collaboration with WSPCHS to address the urgent need for a structured, African-led approach to congenital heart care on the continent.
ASPCHS embraces representation from all 55 African Union Member States, organized into five AU-defined geographic regions. We also include a sixth region — the diaspora — to reflect the vital contributions of professionals of African origin living abroad.
Membership
ASPCHS brings together a multidisciplinary team committed to improving congenital and pediatric heart care. We also proudly include medical professionals from outside Africa who have demonstrated sustained commitment to cardiac care development across the continent. Our members include:
- Pediatric and congenital heart surgeons
- Pediatric and adult cardiologists (with congenital interest)
- Anesthetists and intensivists
- Cardiovascular perfusionists
- Nurses, technicians, and allied professionals
Membership
Our membership includes pediatric and congenital heart surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, adult cardiologists (with interest in pediatric and congenital heart defects), anesthetists, intensivists, cardiovascular perfusionists, and other allied specialists working to improve the care of children with heart disease in Africa. Also included in our membership are surgeons and allied specialists from other continents who have shown a commitment to the development of pediatric and congenital heart surgery in Africa.
Leadership
The Governing Council, subject to the approval of the membership, shall be composed of the President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Executive Director, and one Director (Councilor) per Africa region.
The current Officers of the African Society are the President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Executive Director.
Leadership
The society is governed by a Council composed of elected officers representing the five AU regions and the diaspora
Frank Edwin
President
Accra, Ghana
Drissi Boumzebra
First Vice President
Marrakesh, Morocco
Darshan Reddy
Second Vice President
Durban, South Africa
Susan Vosloo
Secretary
Cape Town, South Africa
Adel Elgamal
Treasurer
Mansoura, Egypt
Christo Tchervenkov
Executive Director
Montreal, Canada.
Vision
Every child born anywhere in Africa with a congenital heart defect should have access to appropriate medical and surgical care.
Mission
Promote the highest quality comprehensive cardiac care to all patients with pediatric and/or congenital heart disease, from the fetus to the adult, regardless of the patient’s economic means, with an emphasis on excellence in education, research and community service.
Objectives
Values
- Scholarship
- Leadership
- Patient-centered Care
- Advocacy
- Community Engagement
Members of Consititutional Council
The Constitutional Council consists of distinguished professionals supporting ASPCHS governance and outreach across Africa and beyond.
LAST NAME | FIRST NAME | CITY | COUNTRY |
ADZAMLI | Innocent | Accra | Ghana |
AL-HALEES | Zohair | Riyadh | Saudi Arabia |
BA | Papa Salmane | Dakar | Senegal |
BEDZRA | Edo | Kansas City | USA |
BOUMZEBRA | Drissi | Marrakech | Morocco |
BOUZID | Abdelmalek | Algiers | Algeria |
DELIA | Ibrahim | Zaria | Nigeria |
EDWIN | Frank | Accra | Ghana |
ELGAMAL | Adel | Mansoura | Egypt |
ENTSUA-MENSAH | Kow | Accra | Ghana |
ETIUMA | Anitiemfon | Calabar | Nigeria |
FALASE | Bode | Lagos | Nigeria |
HERBST | Claudia | Vienna | Austria |
JATENE | Marcelo | Sao Paulo | Brazil |
KABANGA | Etienne | Kinshasa | DRC |
KARARA | Khaled | Cairo | Egypt |
KINSLEY | Robin | Durban | South Africa |
KIRKLIN | James | Birmingham, Alabama | United States |
MANUEL | Valdano | Luanda | Angola |
MORAIS | Atilio | Maputo | Mozambique |
MUHOOZI | Rwakaryebe | Kampala | Uganda |
OKETCHO | Michael | Kampala | Uganda |
REDDY | Darshan | Durban | South Africa |
SLITINE | Nadia | Casablanca | Morocco |
SMIT | Francis | Bloemfontein | South Africa |
SOFIANE | Jerbi | Tunis | Tunisia |
ST. LOUIS | James | Kansas City | United States |
TCHERVENKOV | Christo | Montreal | Canada |
UNAKPOYA | Uvie | Ile Ife | Nigeria |
VOSLOO | Susan | Cape Town | South Africa |
