SWB was established by Dr Paul Anderson and Trevor Walker in 2008, as a response to their recognition of the huge need for specialist-led medical education and health facility development in resource-poor settings. Following trips to Rwanda in 2006 and 2007, the organisation was registered as an Australian public company, limited by guarantee, in the December of 2008. Originally known as ‘Hope Medical International’, its name change to ‘Specialists Without Borders’ (SWB) was registered in June 2010 – acknowledging the organisation’s increasing focus on the provision of medical training programs through an international group of volunteer medical and surgical specialists.
Led by a dynamic National Executive Committee of medical specialists across Australia, and overseen by an experienced Board of Directors, SWB has developed a sustainable model of medical education provision and has grown exponentially in recent years.
In addition to the ongoing recruitment and co-ordination of an extensive database of volunteer specialists to teach in developing country seminars, SWB has developed relationships with global medical aid networks, surgical colleges, universities and medical student associations, and has co-ordinated and participated in a number of global health conferences.
SWB was granted Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status in August 2012, making all donations to SWB’s Public Fund fully tax deductible.