Abstract:Globally, a rapid demographic transition is occurring with a significant increment in the proportion of older individuals. For the first time in history, individuals aged 65 and above outnumber that of children under 5 years of age. In Ethiopia, the life expectancy has shown dramatic improvements in the past few decades and is expected to reach 74 years by mid-century. Older age is considered the most important non-modifiable risk factor for dementia. Likewise, other modifiable diseases such as infectious dise… Show more
“…Between 2021 and 2023, a total of 61 manuscripts were authored by our alumni, including 27 original research articles, 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 16 case reports, 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 2 perspective pieces, 50 51 3 review articles, 52 53 54 1 book chapter, 55 1 association statement, 56 1 consensus statement, 57 1 data note, 58 and 8 that were published on a preprint server (not peer reviewed). 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 Of these academic contributions, 19 of these papers were published in journals with an impact factor of 3.0 to 10.0.…”
Section: Impact Of the Neurology Training Programmentioning
The burden of neurological disease disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, where the lowest number of neurologists are located. Building local training opportunities in resource-limited settings is a foundational step to enhancing the neurological workforce and improving access to neurological care in these regions. In this article, we describe the development and growth of the first neurology residency program in East Africa, which was established in 2006 at Zewditu Memorial Hospital and the Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. We highlight the impact of the program on clinical care, research, collaborations between neurologists across Ethiopia, and ways to build educational opportunities and mentorship while faced with limited resources. The main challenges in starting the residency program included lack of faculty with neurological expertise, lack of a precedent for subspecialty training in our setting, as well as limited resources and space. The formation of sustainable international collaborations with clinicians at established institutions in high-income countries and neurological societies has been a major source of support in developing the initial infrastructure, curriculum and educational content, knowledge assessments, and mentored research projects. Local partnerships with related medical specialties, including internal medicine, critical care, neurological surgery, and psychiatry, were also instrumental in creating training opportunities. As the program continues to evolve, many challenges remain, including limited diagnostics, lack of access to advanced treatment modalities, lack of fellowship training opportunities in various neurological subspecialties, and insufficient training and experience in scientific writing. Despite these challenges, the residency program has persevered and its creation resulted in many positive changes: since its inception in 2006, we graduated 80 neurologists and the number of practicing neurologists in Ethiopia has increased from 5 to 78, our institution has evolved into a national referral center for neurology, graduates have published 61 articles in the past 3 years and contributed to international neurology research, and alumni of the program have grown the Association of Ethiopian Neurologists. Future directions include development of fellowship opportunities, creation of international rotations, and implementation of teleneurology to further strengthen neurological care across Ethiopia.
“…Between 2021 and 2023, a total of 61 manuscripts were authored by our alumni, including 27 original research articles, 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 16 case reports, 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 2 perspective pieces, 50 51 3 review articles, 52 53 54 1 book chapter, 55 1 association statement, 56 1 consensus statement, 57 1 data note, 58 and 8 that were published on a preprint server (not peer reviewed). 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 Of these academic contributions, 19 of these papers were published in journals with an impact factor of 3.0 to 10.0.…”
Section: Impact Of the Neurology Training Programmentioning
The burden of neurological disease disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, where the lowest number of neurologists are located. Building local training opportunities in resource-limited settings is a foundational step to enhancing the neurological workforce and improving access to neurological care in these regions. In this article, we describe the development and growth of the first neurology residency program in East Africa, which was established in 2006 at Zewditu Memorial Hospital and the Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. We highlight the impact of the program on clinical care, research, collaborations between neurologists across Ethiopia, and ways to build educational opportunities and mentorship while faced with limited resources. The main challenges in starting the residency program included lack of faculty with neurological expertise, lack of a precedent for subspecialty training in our setting, as well as limited resources and space. The formation of sustainable international collaborations with clinicians at established institutions in high-income countries and neurological societies has been a major source of support in developing the initial infrastructure, curriculum and educational content, knowledge assessments, and mentored research projects. Local partnerships with related medical specialties, including internal medicine, critical care, neurological surgery, and psychiatry, were also instrumental in creating training opportunities. As the program continues to evolve, many challenges remain, including limited diagnostics, lack of access to advanced treatment modalities, lack of fellowship training opportunities in various neurological subspecialties, and insufficient training and experience in scientific writing. Despite these challenges, the residency program has persevered and its creation resulted in many positive changes: since its inception in 2006, we graduated 80 neurologists and the number of practicing neurologists in Ethiopia has increased from 5 to 78, our institution has evolved into a national referral center for neurology, graduates have published 61 articles in the past 3 years and contributed to international neurology research, and alumni of the program have grown the Association of Ethiopian Neurologists. Future directions include development of fellowship opportunities, creation of international rotations, and implementation of teleneurology to further strengthen neurological care across Ethiopia.
“…To support efforts to promote the population’s mental health and fulfill the needs of Ethiopians with mental, neurological, substance use (MNS), and psychosocial disorders, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has developed the National Mental Health Plan 2020–2025, its second strategic plan. 15 For every 100 million Ethiopians, there were 150 trained psychiatrists, 2461 psychiatric nurses, 274 psychologists, and three social workers, according to a 2019–2022 research by the National Mental Health Plan (of Ethiopia). 13 Figure 1 A 10-year trend (1999–2022) of suicidal behavior in Ethiopia.…”
Section: Ethiopian Context On Trends Of Suicidal Behaviormentioning
Suicide is defined as a death caused by willful acts of taking one’s own life. It might be a way for people to get away from suffering or anguish. Globally, an estimated a million people individuals lose their life due to suicide annually. Before the age of 50 years old more than half (58%) of all suicide deaths occur. This commentary aims to highlight the Ethiopian context, feasible preventive measures, and the way forward in tackling suicidal behavior. Worldwide in adolescent age groups between the ages of 15 and 29, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death. Even though suicide occurs everywhere in the world, according to data in 2019, 77% of all suicides that occurred in the world reside in developing countries. Due to the numerous psychosocial pressures present in Ethiopia, one in four citizens suffers from a mental disorder. According to Ethiopian national data figures, suicide ideation affects 9%, 5–16% of people, whereas suicidal attempt affects 4%, 1–8%. Even though, there is a variation of prevalence over the years based on the variation in design, settings, and sample size. There is an increment in the prevalence’s suicidal ideation and attempts in the past 10 years. The country’s Ministry of Health needs to act to address and prevent this urgent public health situation. The prevention of suicide should be a top concern, and working with numerous stakeholders is an efficient and practical approach.
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