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Kanmounye US, Robertson FC, Thango NS, Doe AN, Bankole NDA, Ginette PA, Ondoma S, Balogun JA, Opoku I, Jokonya L, Mbaye T, Shabhay ZA, Ashour AM, Silva ACV, Cheserem B, Karekezi C, Hassani FD, Mentri N, Laeke T, Aklilu AT, Sanoussi S, Musara A, Ntalaja J, Ssenyonga P, Bakhti S, El Abbadi N, Mahmud MR, El-Ghandour NMF, Al-Habib A, Kolias AG, Servadei F, Fieggen G, Qureshi M, Esene I. Needs of Young African Neurosurgeons and Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study. Front Surg 2021; 8:647279. [PMID: 34124134 PMCID: PMC8193351 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2021.647279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Africa has many untreated neurosurgical cases due to limited access to safe, affordable, and timely care. In this study, we surveyed young African neurosurgeons and trainees to identify challenges to training and practice. Methods: African trainees and residents were surveyed online by the Young Neurosurgeons Forum from April 25th to November 30th, 2018. The survey link was distributed via social media platforms and through professional society mailing lists. Univariate and bivariate data analyses were run and a P-value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: 112 respondents from 20 countries participated in this study. 98 (87.5%) were male, 63 (56.3%) were from sub-Saharan Africa, and 52 (46.4%) were residents. 39 (34.8%) had regular journal club sessions at their hospital, 100 (89.3%) did not have access to cadaver dissection labs, and 62 (55.4%) had never attended a WFNS-endorsed conference. 67.0% of respondents reported limited research opportunities and 58.9% reported limited education opportunities. Lack of mentorship (P = 0.023, Phi = 0.26), lack of access to journals (P = 0.002, Phi = 0.332), and limited access to conferences (P = 0.019, Phi = 0.369) were associated with the country income category. Conclusion: This survey identified barriers to education, research, and practice among African trainees and young neurosurgeons. The findings of this study should inform future initiatives aimed at reducing the barriers faced by this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrick S Kanmounye
- Research Department, Association of Future Africa Neurosurgeons, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Faith C Robertson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nqobile S Thango
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Alvin Nah Doe
- Neurosurgery Sub-Unit, Department of Surgery, John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Nourou Dine Adeniran Bankole
- Neurosurgery Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Ibn Sina Rabat- Mohamed V University of Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Pape Aicha Ginette
- Division of Neurosurgery, Felix Houphouet Boigny University of Abidjan, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Solomon Ondoma
- Mercy One Neurosurgery, Mercy One Hospital of North Iowa, Mason, IA, United States
| | - James A Balogun
- Division of Neurological Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Isabella Opoku
- Department of Neurosurgery, China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Beijing, China
| | - Luxwell Jokonya
- Division of Neurosurgery, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Thioub Mbaye
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Fann, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Zarina A Shabhay
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Muhimbili Orthopedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Ahmed M Ashour
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Beverly Cheserem
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Claire Karekezi
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Surgery, Rwanda Military Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Fahd Derkaoui Hassani
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cheikh Zaid International Hospital, Abulcasis International University of Health Sciences, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Nesrine Mentri
- Department of Neurosurgery, Bejaia University Hospital, Béjaïa, Algeria
| | - Tsegazeab Laeke
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Surgery, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abenezer Tirsit Aklilu
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Surgery, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Samuila Sanoussi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Niamey National Hospital, Niamey, Niger
| | - Aaron Musara
- Division of Neurosurgery, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Jeff Ntalaja
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Peter Ssenyonga
- Department of Neurosurgery, CURE Children's Hospital of Uganda, Mbale, Uganda
| | - Souad Bakhti
- Pediatric Neurosurgery Division, Department of Neurosurgery, Academic Hospital Mustapha Pacha, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Najia El Abbadi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cheikh Zaid International Hospital, Abulcasis International University of Health Sciences, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Muhammad Raji Mahmud
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Surgery, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | | | - Amro Al-Habib
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Angelos G Kolias
- NIHR Global Health Research Group on Neurotrauma, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Franco Servadei
- Department of Neurosurgery, Humanitas University and Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Graham Fieggen
- Division of Neurosurgery, Neurosciences Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mahmood Qureshi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Ignatius Esene
- Neurosurgery Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bamenda, Bambili, Cameroon
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