General topic: Improvement of Neurological Surgery in Africa
Specific pilot project: Introduction of Neuromonitoring in Sub-Saharan Africa
Collaborators:
- Muhimbili University Hospital, Dar Es Salam, Tanzania
- Department of Neurosurgery, St Marien Academic Hospital Luenen, University of Meunster, Germany
Aim of project:
This project aims to improve the oncological and functional outcomes of patients with various neurosurgical (mainly neurooncological) pathologies by using neuromonitoring during operations in Sub-Saharan Africa. The main goal of neuromonitoring is to facilitate maximal safe tumor resections, namely to improve the ability of neurosurgeons to achieve a greater degree of resection without endangering injuries of specific eloquent functional areas as well as their association fibers.
We aim to start with a pilot phase. It should be a collaborative center-to-center program between an advanced neurosurgical center led by Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Gousias (Director of the Department of Neurosurgery, St Marien Academic Hospital Luenen, University of Muenster, Germany) and a center in an underserved region led by Dr. Nicephorus Rutabasibwa (Consultant at Muhimbili University Hospital of Dar Es Salam, Tanzania) in order to introduce and optimize the use of neuromonitoring during neurosurgical procedures in Tanzania.
Teaching activities:
This will be performed over a 1-year period through:
1) monthly neurosurgical hybrid webinars (with in-person & remote online attendees) on various topics related to the field;
2) monthly one-hour tele-educational clinical grand rounds;
3) in-person visits of some mentors to the mentee site, organization of a neurosurgical educational symposium on neuromonitoring with teaching cases on-site in the operating room.
4) Rotations of physicians from Tanzania at the Neurosurgical Center in Luenen.
Project status: Preparing
Start date: February 2023
Proposed end date: February 2024
First on-site visit: To be determined
Language(s): English
Location: Muhimbili University Hospital, Dar Es Salam, Tanzania; St Marien Academic Hospital Luenen, University of Muenster, Germany
Coordination: Francis Fezeu, President of Brain Global
Contact person: Francis Fezeu, President of Brain Global
– e-mail: brainglobal.contact@gmail.com
Patient age: All ages
Project type(s): Clinical, Global Health, Capacity Building, Healthcare Professional Education
Funding source(s): Private Foundations, Nonprofit Organizations, Personal, Professional Societies
Project need(s):
1) Volunteers (clinical assistance and training in surgical oncology, physicians/neurosurgeons/didactic lecturers);
2) Equipment (contemporary neurophysiological operating room equipment, microsurgical instruments, disposables, drills);
3) Funding;
4) Assistance with creating a full research partnership with joint research projects and academic exchange
Thank you for your support.
