EFSMA, European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations, was founded in Portugal in 1998; during the years, has become a well-organized and structured international association, committed to the promotion and development of Sports Medicine in the whole Europe.

Its primary aim is the protection of athletes’ health, fighting at the same time against doping, arising from the conviction that sport expresses, maintains and improves not only physical fitness and performance, but even mental well-being, creating also social relationships and preventing different diseases.

In this context, EFSMA’s main goal and most important challenge is the recognition of Sports Medicine as a primary specialty in every single Country of the European Union.

Moreover, EFSMA aims:

• to develop and harmonize the study of Sports Medicine, get it included in the basic curricula of all Medical schools and Educational Institutions;
• to become a pan-European forum for the improvement of communication among Sports Medicine Organizations;
• to coordinate actions at European level through all Sport Science disciplines;
• to increase the understanding of the importance of physical activity and sport training for the whole European population, sharing the knowledge of principles and methods of Sports Medicine for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and diseases;
• to encourage the exchange of scientific results, experiences and research;
• to create and spread a Sports Medicine Code of Ethics throughout Europe.

Moreover, it is important to underline that EFSMA works together with the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS), the oldest medical organization in Europe, which, with a current membership from 40 countries, is the representative organization of the National Associations of Medical Specialists in the European Union and in its associated countries.