FAIS History - FAIS Africa

 

FAIS: The Beginning

The Federation of African Immunological Societies (FAIS) traces its origins to the 7th International Congress of Immunology, held in Berlin (West) in July 1989.
At that time, there were very few national immunology societies in Africa and no unified regional body representing the continent within the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS). Among the more than 10,000 scientists attending the Berlin congress, the small number of African participants was striking.

Recognizing this gap, a group of about 14 African scientists, many from the African diaspora, gathered informally one evening with Dr. Jacob Natvig, newly elected President of IUIS, to discuss how to strengthen and connect immunology communities across Africa. Among them was Dr. Ahmed Esa, then an Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, who took on the role of lead organizer for this new initiative.

On returning to the United States, Dr. Esa reached out to potential partners and found support from the Board of Science and Technology for International Development (BOSTID) of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, which agreed to fund the initiative through its program for the advancement of clinical education in Africa. With this crucial funding secured, Dr. Esa presented the proposal to the IUIS Council in Edinburgh in 1991, which agreed to sponsor a first African immunology meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, and pledged additional financial and institutional support.

The First FAIS Meeting – Harare, 1992

In late 1991, the Zimbabwe Immunology Society (ZIS) formed a local steering committee to organize the meeting, led by:

An International Steering Committee chaired by Dr. Jacob Natvig and coordinated by Dr. Ahmed Esa was also created, bringing together nearly 20 senior scientists from around the world to ensure high visibility and broad participation.

The First IUIS African Immunological Meeting was held in Harare from February 10–14, 1992, attracting about 200 scientists from seven African immunology societies. During this landmark event, participants agreed to establish the Federation of African Immunological Societies (FAIS), officially declaring the Harare meeting as the first FAIS Congress.

The first FAIS Council officers elected were:

The proceedings, which included 56 original scientific presentations, were published in the Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, Supplement 11 (1992). It was also resolved that FAIS would hold a Congress every two years, with the 2nd FAIS Congress planned for Nairobi, Kenya.

The Second FAIS Meeting – Nairobi, 1994

The 2nd FAIS Congress took place in Nairobi, Kenya, from October 23–27, 1994.
While the inaugural meeting in Harare focused on establishing the Federation, the Nairobi congress aimed to showcase African scientific excellence. Over 116 papers were presented, including contributions from prominent international scientists from India, Europe, and the United States.

This meeting reinforced FAIS’s partnerships with IUIS and the European Federation of Immunological Societies (EFIS), firmly embedding FAIS within the global immunology community. A summary of the proceedings was later published in The Immunologist, Vol. 3, No. 1 (January/February 1995).

Looking Ahead

Following its founding years, FAIS has continued to grow—strengthening collaboration among African immunologists and connecting the continent’s scientific community to the international stage. From its modest beginnings in Harare, FAIS has expanded to include societies from across Africa, promoting research, education, and knowledge exchange in immunology.

As noted by Dr. Ahmed Esa, one of FAIS’s founders, “I am very grateful that FAIS has expanded and is still going strong after more than 32 years. I congratulate all the scientists who have toiled to keep it strong.”

Today, FAIS remains a vital platform supporting African immunologists, advancing biomedical science, and fostering collaboration to improve health outcomes across the continent.