Alfred Charles Fisher was born on 26 June 1905 in Lurgan, Co Armagh. Both his father and uncle were physicians. When five months old he went with his parents to Northern Rhodesia; en route he was carried over the girders of the uncompleted Victoria Falls bridge before the roadway was put on. He was educated at Plumtree School, Rhodesia, and at Nottingham High School. He entered Bristol University Medical School in 1922 qualifying in 1928 having been awarded several scholarships and a gold medal. After several resident appointments at the Bristol Royal Infirmary he passed his FRCS in 1930. Shortly after he went to Yakusu in the Belgian Congo to do research on bilharzia under Sir Clement Chesterman. He discovered a new species of schistosome which he named *Schistosoma intercalatum* and he was the first to report on the rare condition, tropical primary phlebitis. He proceeded MD in 1932. He then moved to the copper belt of Northern Rhodesia and in 1934 became chief medical officer of the Roan Antelope and Mufulira mines. He was the only surgeon of consultant status in the area and he helped build up a hospital service for all the mines. He was trusted and respected by both the indigenous and expatriate populations. Under his direction the medical departments of the mines pioneered prophylaxis through maternity and child welfare clinics and malaria and hookworm were controlled. He was the secretary of the Northern Rhodesia branch of the BMA for many years and later its President. When Zambia became independent he helped found the Zambia Medical Association. Politically he was a liberal. In 1946 he briefly represented the Africans' interests in the legislative council, but he found it absorbed too much of his time. Later he was influential in the middle-of-the-road political efforts made to try to bridge the gap between black and white extremists. He was awarded an OBE in 1947 for his efforts. In 1958 he left the direct employment of the mining companies and became consultant surgeon to the new Llewellyn Hospital in Kitwe. At the same time he built up a prize breeding herd of cattle on a farm by the Kafue river, helping the developing agricultural industry in the area. From 1956 to 1972 he was chairman of the Flying Doctor Service of Zambia and of the Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation. A noted hunter in his youth, he abandoned the gun as he grew older and became a leader in conservation. He retired in 1979. He married Dr Monica Hanford in 1941, who survives him. They had three sons - two in medicine - a consultant physician and an ophthalmologist - and one daughter. His third son manages the farm. He died on 24 August 1981, aged 76 years.