PERSPECTIVES ON CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN AFRICAN PEDIATRIC SURGERY- A QUALITATIVE STUDY leesangeunmd@gmail.com

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PERSPECTIVES ON CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN AFRICAN PEDIATRIC SURGERY- A QUALITATIVE STUDY

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Monsoia Gildas Yassegoungbe gildas.yassegoungbe@gmail.com Université Abomey Calavi N/A Abomey‑Calavi Benin

Williefrank Benson williebenzo@gmail.com JFK Medical Center Monrovia Liberia N/A Monrovia Liberia

 

 

Ghana

Oral or Poster

The global burden of paediatric surgical conditions remains a significant global health challenge, with an estimated 1.7 billion children worldwide lacking access to effective surgical care. Much of this burden is experienced in Africa and there is an urgent need for a sustainable and skilled paediatric surgical workforce. This study explores challenges and opportunities faced by African paediatric surgeons and trainees as detailed at the Future of Africa Summit during the Pan-African Paediatric Surgical Conference 2025.

32 participants were invited to the summit, representing 10+ African countries. 4 Focus group discussions were conducted by selected moderators. Data were collected from the summit via written transcripts documented by moderators and later uploaded to a google form. Braun and Clarke's framework was used to conduct a reflexive thematic analysis.

Twelve sub-themes were developed and categorised into three overarching themes: Pressing Challenges, Impact of Challenges, and Sustainable Solutions. The results showed that lack of infrastructure, limited skilled human resources, financial constraints and gaps in national policies have contributed to the delay in care provision, adverse outcomes and lack of trust in medical professionals. Summit discussions emphasised cross-country partnerships to share localised solutions and tools, and highlighted the significance of involving junior doctors in fostering community awareness and conducting research that addresses existing capacity gaps and informs national and regional policies.

This study underscores the universality of the challenges faced by paediatric surgeons across Africa and the necessity of collaborative actions towards building the continent's future.