Twenty Years of Collaboration Between Belgium and Benin in Training Anesthesiologists for Africa

Belgium has been collaborating for 20 years with Abomey-Calavi University in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, to train anesthesiologists for Sub-Saharan, French-speaking African countries. With 123 graduates from 15 countries and 46 residents still in training, this program has succeeded in reversing the trend of a decreasing anesthesiology workforce in those countries, thus improving the quality of anesthesia and patient safety. Belgian government sources, as well as hospitals and anesthesia teams, provided most of the financial resources. Reasons for success, positive outcomes, and shortcomings are discussed, as well as future perspectives and threats. Failure to enroll enough female residents (15%) and brain drain (18% of alumni) are of concern. Alumni are capable of importing and adapting modern technology and practice. Graduates increase the impact of the Cotonou program by getting involved in teaching nonphysician anesthesia providers and by supporting new anesthesiology training programs being launched in several countries. Other African countries with training programs, by following this example, could accelerate anesthesiology progress by accepting foreign residents from the region. The role of anesthesiologists as anesthesia team leaders must be better defined, and residency training programs adapted accordingly. Continuing international support remains of critical importance, especially in the form of resident rotations to high-income countries. The development of structured anesthesiology programs should be encouraged by African governments as developing anesthesia is a prerequisite for surgical development in every discipline.