spa global

University of Nairobi Pediatric Anesthesia Fellows Participate in ASA/SPA Global Scholars Program

By Jenna Sobey, MD
Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital
David Liston, MD, MPH
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Faye Evans, MD
Boston Children’s Hospital

In many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) there continues to be a shortage of physician anesthesiologists. Fellowship trained pediatric anesthesiologists are even more scarce. To address this deficit, the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) has partnered with institutions across the globe to develop and fund several pediatric anesthesia training programs.

One of these partnerships is at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. With additional support from the SPA and others, the East Africa Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship (EAPAF) was formed in 2013. This fellowship is unique in that it is one of the few university based WFSA fellowships and is one of the first pediatric anesthesia fellowships in Africa. The fellowship accepts applicants from all over Africa and to date has graduated 14 pediatric fellows from seven countries. In order to be selected, one must have a letter of support from their home institution, with plans to return and practice in their home country. This past year’s fellows were Dr. Petros Manyumwa from Zimbabwe, Dr. Nathalie Mejeni from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Dr. Françoise Nizeyimana from Rwanda.

Dr. Petros Manyumwa enjoying the sights and sounds of Nashville!

In order to foster collaboration and to celebrate their accomplishments, the three fellows were invited to participate in the SPA/American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Global Scholars Program. This program offered the opportunity for the three fellows to travel to the US, upon completion of their training, for a two-week observership at one of three pediatric hospitals: Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Seattle Children’s Hospital. Each of these departments graciously funded the fellow’s participation in the program. During their visit, the fellows had the opportunity to work with pediatric anesthesia faculty observing clinical care and the overall perioperative systems in action. They rotated through the main ORs, cardiac ORs, various ICU settings, pain clinics, attended lectures and journal clubs, as well as observed and participated in simulation. Each of the fellows were asked to give a presentation to the host department highlighting anesthesia care in their home countries. While each fellow experienced a different part of the US, they were able to enjoy local cultural experiences and delicious cuisine unique to that area.

Dr. Nathalie Mejeni having a great time in Boston

Following their observerships, the EAPAF fellows attended the 2018 SPA and ASA annual meetings where they were hosted as ASA/SPA global scholars. As part of this program, each of the fellows was expected to present a poster at the ASA meeting highlighting a challenging case that occurred during their fellowship.

The global scholars program is a tremendous opportunity for these recent graduates to be introduced to the larger anesthesia community. It helps them with networking to foster professional relationships and friendships for future collaborations. It is certainly not a one-sided experience. Their U.S. hosts were fortunate to have the opportunity to learn about the challenges the fellows encounter on a daily basis in their home countries and the obstacles they overcome to provide safe pediatric anesthesia care. Upon their return, we hope they will continue to participate in the SPA community. We anticipate that not only will they be confident in their knowledge and skills, but also passionate and excited to share those assets to further improve pediatric anesthesia care in Africa.

graduates

The recently graduated University of Nairobi Pediatric Anesthesia Fellows enjoy the SPA reception with fellow SPA members Mark Newton, Grace Hsu, Jonathan Tan, and Faye Evans

Dr. Manyumwa