Amref Health Africa

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Amref Health Africa
Formation1957
Founder Archibald McIndoe
Sir Michael Wood
Tom Rees
Location
  • International HQ: Nairobi,
    Kenya
OriginsEast Africa
Area served
Africa
Members12
Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO)
 Githinji Gitahi
Revenue$255m
Employees2100
Volunteers0
Website amref.org
Formerly called
African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF)

Amref Health Africa is a Kenyan-based non-governmental organization focused on providing community and environmental healthcare to countries in Africa. It is considered one of the most prominent health NGOs in Africa. [1]

Contents

History

East African Flying Doctor Service Cessna 402B at its Nairobi (Wilson) Airport base in 1973 Cessna 402B 5H-MOJ Wilson 26.04.73 edited-3.jpg
East African Flying Doctor Service Cessna 402B at its Nairobi (Wilson) Airport base in 1973

Originally known as The Flying Doctors of East Africa, Amref was founded in 1957 by Sir Archibald McIndoe, Sir Michael Wood and Dr. Thomas D. Rees. [2] [3] While its original focus was to provide health services to patients in remote areas, they began providing education to other Africa-based health workers as early as the 1970s. [1] [4]

During the 1980s and 90s, Amref expanded in scope, collaborating with other international aid agencies and working directly with the Ministries of Health in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda on community health based projects, with a focus on the prevention of HIV/AIDS. [4]

In the 2000s and 2010s, Amref performed thousands of reconstructive surgeries on Africans with cleft lip and cleft palate (CLP) alongside the non-profit organization Smile Train. [1]

On August 7, 2025 a Cessna Citation XLS operated by Amref crashed into a house in Mwihoko, Kiambu County, killing four people on board the aircraft and two others inside the house. [5]

The Flying Doctors of East Africa (film)

In 1969, Amref was the subject of a documentary short by director Werner Herzog named The Flying Doctors of East Africa . [6] This was still the name of the organization at the time. Shooting took place on location in Tanzania and Kenya. According to Herzog, the film was successful in bringing publicity to the organization in its early days. [7]

Further reading

Statue of founder Sir Archibald McIndoe in East Grinstead McIndoe statue, East Grinstead.jpg
Statue of founder Sir Archibald McIndoe in East Grinstead

See also

Leadership

Source: [8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hamze, Hasan; Mengiste, Asrat; Carter, Jane (2017). "The impact and cost-effectiveness of the Amref Health Africa-Smile Train Cleft Lip and Palate Surgical Repair Programme in Eastern and Central Africa". Pan African Medical Journal. 28. doi:10.11604/pamj.2017.28.35.10344. ISSN   1937-8688. PMC   5697937 .
  2. ↑ Saxon, Wolfgang (1987, May 20) "Dr Michael Wood, a Founder of East Africa Flying Doctors" The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/20/obituaries/dr-michael-wood-a-founder-of-east-africa-flying-doctors.html
  3. ↑ Rees, Thomas D (2002). Daktari: A Surgeon’s Adventure’s with the Flying Doctors of East Africa. Santa Fe: Sunstone Press. p. 13. ISBN   9780865343894.
  4. 1 2 Nyambegera, Stephen Morangi; Gicheru, Caroline Njambi (2016). “Extrinsic and Intrinsic Factors Influencing Employee Motivation: Lessons from AMREF Health Africa in Kenya”. International Journal of Business and Social Research (Volume 6, Issue 9)
  5. ↑ Komu, Nicholas (7 August 2025). "At least 6 killed in air ambulance crash just outside Kenya's capital". AP News. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  6. ↑ Alcalá Anguiano, Fabiola (2024-11-20) "Biographies in the Cinematic Realism Of Werner Herzog. Discourse for Remembering and Thinking about the Present" Encartes, (Volume 6, Number 12). 113-136. https://doi.org/10.29340/en.v6n12.280
  7. ↑ Cronin, Paul (2014) "Werner Herzog: A Guide for the Perplexed". Faber and Faber. ISBN   978-0571336067
  8. ↑ "Our Leadership". Amref Health Africa. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "Our Leadership". Amref Health Africa. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
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