Amref Health Africa
 | |
| Formation | 1957 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Archibald McIndoe Sir Michael Wood Tom Rees |
| Location |
|
| Origins | East Africa |
Area served | Africa |
| Members | 12 |
Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) | Githinji Gitahi |
| Revenue | $255m |
| Employees | 2100 |
| Volunteers | 0 |
| Website | amref |
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]
History
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
Rees, Thomas D (2002). Daktari: A Surgeons Adventures with the Flying Doctors of East Africa. Santa Fe: Sunstone Press. ISBN 9780865343894
Wood, Michael (2016). No Turning Back: A Flying Doctor's Adventure in Africa. Acrodile Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-9966007407
See also
- Clinical officers, healthcare providers in Sub-saharan Africa
- Healthcare in Kenya
Leadership
- Group Chief Executive Officer: Githinji Gitahi,[8]
- Amref UK CEO: Camilla Knox-Peebles
- Amref USA CEO: Robert Kelty
- Amref West Africa regional manager: Awa Dieye Dieng
- Amref Kenya country director: Ndirangu Wanjuki
References
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ 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
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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)
- ^ Komu, Nicholas (7 August 2025). "At least 6 killed in air ambulance crash just outside Kenya's capital". AP News. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ 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
- ^ Cronin, Paul (2014) "Werner Herzog: A Guide for the Perplexed". Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0571336067
- ^ "Our Leadership". Amref Health Africa. Retrieved 13 January 2024.