[African neurosurgery. 2: Current status and future prospects]

A survey conducted among African neurosurgeons shows that there are nowadays 500 neurosurgeons in Africa, that is one neurosurgeon for 1,350,000 inhabitants, and 70,000 km2. The distribution of these neurosurgeons shows a striking regional disparity: North Africa has 354 neurosurgeons for 119 million inhabitants, that is one neurosurgeon for 338,000 inhabitants, and South Africa has 65 neurosurgeons for 40 million inhabitants, that is one neurosurgeon for 620,000 inhabitants. Between these two areas where neurosurgery is developing quite well, we have the majority of African countries with a scanty density of neurosurgeons (81 neurosurgeons for 515 million inhabitants, that is one neurosurgeon for 6,368,000 inhabitants). The Panafrican Association of Neurological Sciences "PAANS" brings together the African neurosurgeons. This continental African Association represents African neurosurgeons in the WFNS. In addition to this continental Association, there are national societies of neurosciences. However, there are only six Societies of Neurosurgery. Two systems of training exist in Africa: local training and training abroad. These two systems have unequal quality and specific difficulties which have already been pointed out. Among the optimistic elements which make us believe in the development of neurosurgery in Africa are the existence of a quite good level of neurosurgery at the two extremities of the continent (North Africa and South Africa), the development of neurosciences in the African universities, and the increasing interest that the international community bears to Africa in the last years. However, the real factor of optimism is the African neurosurgeons who should promote neurosurgery in their continent, at the level of their own countries by developing information and health education, setting their specialty in the education syllabus and health planning, and settling into active and performing societies. At the continental and international level, African neurosurgeons should institutionalize inter-African cooperation, expedite their continental association (PAANS), and further exchanges with the other continents through the SNCLF (Société de Neurochirurgie de Langue Francaise). The latter, together with other associations such as the EANS (European Association of Neurosurgical Societies) and WFNS (World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies) could provide help to the development of Neurosurgery in Africa as far as training, exchanges, research and organization are concerned.