Regional Cooperation in the Development of Biomedical Engineering for Developing Countries

Abstract

Specific challenges have been identified in previous IFMBE conferences and other global biomedical engineering events where it was noted that many of the developing (less developed) countries, especially those of the sub-Saharan Africa are not usually represented due mainly to those factors that made them really developing.

The Council of Societies (CoS) of the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE) has recently subdivided the biomedical engineering world into CoS Regional Groups, which are expected to meet independently in the respective Regions. Therefore the CoS through the Regional Groups serves as the main communication and feedback channel between the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE) and its Constituent Societies.

The groupings are Asian-Pacific Rim, North-America, Latin- America and Europe-Africa. Here, the mapping of Africa with Europe in same group should be seen as strategic. For one, IFMBE has provided a forum for a part of developed biomedical engineering world to enable the development of a less developed biomedical engineering world.

Therefore, Africa and other developing countries so mapped are expected to grab this opportunity with its attendant benefits. These benefits doubtlessly include the opportunities of joint conferences, exchange academic and professional programmes, tapping and exposure to the global industrial world.