Former NMA president says first CANMA leadership training, held with the World Medical Association in Zambia, fulfils an initiative launched during his tenure.
By Bunmi Yekini
A former President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and founding coordinator of the Coalition of African National Medical Associations (CANMA), Dr Osahon Enabulele, has congratulated African medical associations on the successful completion of CANMA’s first leadership training workshop, held jointly with the World Medical Association (WMA) in Livingstone, Zambia.
The three-day workshop, which ran from Aug. 18 to Aug. 20, was aimed at strengthening the leadership capacity of African physicians and national medical associations and enhancing Africa’s voice within the WMA and other global medical bodies.
Enabulele, who initiated the leadership summit and sought WMA’s support for the programme while serving concurrently as WMA president and founding coordinator of CANMA, said he was pleased to see the initiative come to fruition under the current CANMA leadership led by Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa.
“I am delighted that what we dreamt of and initiated during our tenure has now been brought to fruition,” Enabulele said in a statement.
He was scheduled to speak at the workshop on “Leadership, Identity, and Pan-African Solidarity”.
Enabulele also congratulated CANMA, the WMA and the Zambia Medical Association, led by Dr Phiri Masiku, for organising the programme.
He acknowledged the contributions of medical leaders involved in the initiative, including former WMA Secretary General Dr Otmar Kloiber and his successor, Dr Ramin Parsa-Parsi; former presidents of the Zambia and Kenya medical associations, Dr Roy Tolopu Kaumba and Dr Simon Kigondu; Dr Elizabeth Gitau; South African Medical Association Chief Executive Officer Dr Mzu Nodikida; and current WMA President Dr Jacqueline Kitulu.
He also thanked participants for contributing to the workshop and said its outcomes should be used to advance CANMA’s founding objectives.
CANMA was established in October 2016 by Enabulele and other African medical leaders to promote collaboration among national medical associations on the continent.
Enabulele, who is also a former president of the Commonwealth Medical Association, said he expected the gains from the workshop to be consolidated to strengthen CANMA and further advance the interests and representation of African physicians in global health forums.