ACEM involvement in a successful African emergency medicine programme

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• International Health

Background:

• Botswana's healthcare system faced a critical need for specialized emergency medicine professionals.
• The country lacked a sustainable, in-country postgraduate training program for emergency medicine specialists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and outcomes of the first emergency medicine specialist training program in Botswana.
• To highlight the role of international collaboration and support in establishing this program.
• To advocate for increased investment in African emergency medicine training initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative postgraduate training program was established between Botswana and South Africa.
• Support was provided by the College of Emergency Medicine of Australia (ACEM) and its International Emergency Medicine Network.
• The program focused on developing local expertise and sustainable training infrastructure.

Main Results:

• Botswana graduated its first cohort of home-grown emergency medicine specialists within the last five years.
• The training program, though challenging, successfully met its objectives.
• International support was crucial for overcoming developmental, implementation, and maintenance hurdles.

Conclusions:

• The Botswana-South Africa emergency medicine specialist training program demonstrates a successful model for capacity building in Africa.
• International partnerships, particularly through grants and scholarships, are vital for advancing emergency medicine in resource-limited settings.
• Further investment in similar initiatives is recommended to strengthen emergency care across the African continent.