AFOMP continues to grow slowly, in both its members and mission.
However, slowly is the key word, and AFOMP has a strong tendency to drift.
Steps need to be taken to ensure that each committee has set objectives and a time line to achieve these objectives. Part of the problem is the lack of a clear action plan, and a big problem is the lack of funds.
Mission
Our major role is to support the development of medical physics in our region. However, our conferences seem to have been directed mainly to support the advanced members. Our next meeting is in China. Subsequent meeting should be in developing countries.
Recommendation: priority should be given to running AOCMP in developing countries, with associated training courses as an integral part of the conference.
AFOMP needs to separate the needs of developing countries from those of the developed countries. This means that appropriate technology needs to be determined that is best suited to the current stage of development of medicine and medical physics.
Recommendation: that appropriate technology be a part of the E&TC and PDC mission.
Funding
Our mission is severely impeded by the lack of funds. EFOMP charges its members a fee on top of that paid to IOMP. Should we consider this as well? Of course, the big differences are that there no developing countries in Western Europe, and EFOMP probably plays a much bigger role for all its member states than AFOMP.
The alternative approach is to seek funding from IOMP. This should be in the form of a grant application to achieve a given purpose. This would obviate IOMP having to decide between paying AFOMP but not EFOMP.
Recommendation: A project application be submitted to IOMP for funding the review of appropriate technology in developing AFOMP countries.
The third approach is to gather industry into the AFOMP fold. The Commercial Funding Committee was formed for this purpose and proforma have been developed. However, interaction with industry has been limited and we have yet to attract a commercial sponsor.
Recommendation: All companies trading in the AFOMP region be invited for a free listing on the web site, and AFOMP officers assigned to target specific companies that accept for corporate sponsorship.
Barry Allen
President AFOMP