The 30th West African College of Physicians Annual General and Scientific Meeting opens today at the Kairaba Beach Hotel. The regional confab is expected to be officially opened by President Yahya Jammeh.

According to a release issued by the regional body, the meeting will provide an invaluable forum for the reviewing of the College’s activities and the exchange of important research findings. It will also serve as an excellent opportunity for fellows from all the constituent countries to meet and interact.

The Gambia, the release went on, is always a popular choice for such a meeting and this year is no exception adding “It is a particularly auspicious year for the Gambia Chapter of the West African College, as the current college President, Professor Tumani Corrah is a Gambian.”

The Vice-President of the Gambia chapter, Dr Hilton White said “This promises to be a particularly important and interesting occasion, for we are to be joined by the Fellows of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, who will this year celebrate their centenary.”

In addition to the visitors from the Royal Society, the release went on, the college will host Professor Charles Mgone of the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, Africa Office in South Africa, Professor David Black of the Royal College of Physicians in the UK and Diana Dunstan, Director of Research Management Group, Medical Research Council, UK.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Medical Problems Associated with Ageing”. The College Symposium and Lecture will specifically address the theme of ageing and there will be a scientific session from members and fellows of the college on diverse topics.

The West African College of Physicians (the college), the release concludes, was formally inaugurated in Lagos on the 23rd of October 1976. It is one of the two constituent colleges of the West African Medical Colleges (WAPMC), which was the largest specialised agency of the former West African Health Community (WAHC). In 2001, the WAHC merged with their francophone counterparts, the OOCCEG to form the West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO) under the auspices of Ecowas. Thus, the college is now an agency of WAHO. The member countries of the former WAHO are Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.