Scaling Up Global Collaborations for Neurosurgical Education and Care Capacity Development in West Africa: Are There Low-Hanging Fruits Where It Tolls?

BACKGROUND: Six decades after birth, the path to sustainable neurosurgical education and care in West Africa remains slow paced. We highlight plain sailing local attributes and global interventions for accelerated progress. METHODS: This was a 20-year study of neurosurgical practice and training status from 1999 to 2018. We prospectively evaluated development of neurosurgical units between 2009 and 2018 and compared with retrospective data both from 1999 to 2018 and from the origin of West African neurosurgery in 1962. RESULTS: The number of neurosurgeons rose from 1 in 1962 to 221 in 2018 with a mean of 3.95 neurosurgeons per year. Between 1998 and 2018, the subregional annual neurosurgeon birthrate varied significantly between 0.72 and 3.95. In 1998, 7 countries contributed to a neurosurgeon population of 26. In 2018, 13 countries contributed to a total of 221 neurosurgeons. The period 2009-2018 recorded the highest growth of neurosurgeons with a neurosurgeon birthrate of 7.5. Nigeria accounts for 51.6% (200.9 million) of the West African population and has 57% (11) of the 19 fully accredited training centers, while Ghana and Senegal account for 7.7% and 4.3% of the West African population, respectively, and each has 11% of the training centers. The 10-year unit procreativity index for the period 2009-2018 was 1.3, with Nigeria accounting for 0.7 (53.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The low unit procreativity index across West Africa, a major cause of the low neurosurgeon birthrate, can be resolved using tailored kindling and procreative strategies.