Ethiopia: who to educate, how to educate and what to teach

Excerpt

Four major factors necessitate the support for and advancement of pediatric imaging in Ethiopia. First, the demographics are loud and clear: 44% of the population is younger than 14 years and 60% is younger than 20 years. At the largest general referral hospital of the country, Tikur Anbessa Hospital in Addis Ababa, 47% of the patient population is children. Second, higher education in Ethiopia has witnessed historical undertakings through the establishment of more than 20 universities that have high need of well-trained professionals. Third, various medical specialties have already started or are in the process of establishing subspecialties like pediatric surgery, pediatric oncology and neonatology—specialties that necessitate dedicated pediatric imaging support. However, there is not a single pediatric radiologist in the country, which has an estimated population of 93 million. Fourth, there is a significant discrepancy with regard to the availability of radiologic equipment between the public and private sectors. The Faculty of Medicine of the Addis Ababa University, in Tikur Anbessa Hospital, which is a public entity, runs the only radiology residency program in the country. Currently, there is no MRI scanner at this facility. Thus graduates face major challenges when they go out to work in better-equipped public or private facilities. …