Development of a pediatric ophthalmology academic partnership between Canada and Ethiopia: a situational analysis
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access
Development of a pediatric ophthalmology academic partnership between Canada and Ethiopia: a situational analysis Stephanie N. Kletke1, Jibat G. Soboka2,3, Helen Dimaras1,4,5,6,7, Sadik T. Sherief2,3*
and Asim Ali1,4
Abstract Background: Educational capacity building in pediatric ophthalmology is necessary to address the burden of childhood blindness in Ethiopia. Residency and fellowship training at Addis Ababa University (AAU) have been enhanced with support from the University of Toronto (UofT), following the established Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration (TAAAC). Our aim was to assess the feasibility of implementing a pediatric ophthalmology fellowship at AAU with support from UofT, modeled by successful postgraduate medical education within TAAAC. Methods: A situational analysis, including a needs assessment, was conducted at Menelik II Hospital, Addis Ababa. Staff expertise, equipment and infrastructure were compared to International Council of Ophthalmology fellowship guidelines. Patient volumes were assessed through medical chart review. Local training needs were evaluated. A strategic working meeting facilitated program specification. Results: The faculty consisted of 11 ophthalmologists, including 2 pediatric specialists. Fourteen thousand six hundred twenty-seven medical and three thousand six hundred forty-one surgical pediatric cases were seen in the previous year. A 2-year fellowship incorporating anterior segment, retinoblastoma, strabismus, and retinopathy of prematurity modules was developed. Research collaborations, didactic teaching, and surgical supervision were identified as priorities requiring support. Quality standard indicators included faculty feedback, case log review and formal examination. Telemedicine, development of a larger eye hospital and partnerships to support equipment maintenance were identified as strategies to manage implementation barriers. Conclusions: The situational analysis provided a way forward for the development of a pediatric ophthalmology fellowship, the first of its kind in Eastern Africa. Learning outcomes are feasible given high patient volumes, qualified staff supervision and sufficient equipment. Strategic partnerships may ensure resource sustainability. Keywords: Pediatric ophthalmology fellowship, Academic partnership, Ethiopia, Toronto Addis Ababa academic collaboration, Situational analysis, Needs assessment
* Correspondence: [email protected] 2 Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 3 Department of Ophthalmology, Menelik II Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source
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