An estimated 1.7 billion children worldwide lack access to safe, specialized surgical care and anesthesia, with the majority living in low- and middle-income countries. In Africa, most countries have fewer than 0.5 anesthesia providers per 100,000 people — and specialist shortages are just one of the barriers limiting access to care.
Investing in pediatric anesthesia training and developing future leaders is vital to improving perioperative care for children in Africa. Fortunately, many talented anesthesia colleagues in Ethiopia are eager to deepen their skills.
CSI is thrilled to support growth in this area. We have engaged longtime volunteer Dr. Zipporah Gathuya as a Program Consultant to lead our surgical outreach and training initiatives in Ethiopia and other programs in Africa. You can see Dr. Gathuya (“Zippy” to those who know her) in action this week, supporting our surgical fellowship training there.
An internationally recognized pediatric anesthesiologist with over 20 years of experience across the public and private sectors, Dr. Gathuya is based at The Nairobi Hospital in Kenya. She brings new organizational leadership to CSI, along with first-hand expertise and strong cultural competence, to elevate pediatric anesthesia education and expand access to resources for our partners.
Welcome to the CSI clinical leadership team, Dr. Gathuya!
#pediatricanesthesia #pediatricsurgery #globalhealth
With patients coming from across Ethiopia and surrounding regions, we need to communicate with families who speak one or more languages or dialects. We rely on our interpreter partners to bridge that gap.
Interpreters are often the voices and ears for our patients and their families. For more than 10 years, Taitu Tour and Travel Ethiopia has been an essential partner in Ethiopia, providing travel and logistical support and placing interpreters alongside CSI teams. They help us connect with families, hear their stories, and understand their needs, communicating with clarity and compassion in fast-moving medical and social environments.
We are grateful for the passion they bring to this work. Thank you to the entire Taitu Tours team! 🙏
#nonprofit #pediatricsurgery #medicalinterpreter
Ethiopia surgical day #3 - This is Dessalegn 💙 He and his father traveled to Bahir Dar from the northernmost part of Ethiopia — a two day bus ride — for his second urology surgery. Once he has healed, he will be able to urinate “normally” without worrying about infections.
So often, the results of our medical care go beyond physical health. For Dessalegn, this means both functional and social continence.
Our time with patients and their families also begins before the operating room, as we keep them calm and engaged in advance of surgery. With patients as sweet as Dessalegn, this rarely feels like work.
#GlobalHealth #pediatricsurgery #changinglivesonechildatatime
Theresa Philbin, RN, CSI Board of Directors member, and long-time clinical lead in Ethiopia, reflects on this trip and the team. At the end of the day today, she shared the following:
While there’s a consistent focus on patients across teams, each trip to Ethiopia is unique. Here are 3 key things we’re thinking about for this trip:
1. We have a full schedule
With our large team, we have been able to schedule 60 patients for the week. That is a larger number of patients compared to most of our Ethiopia trips. It is beautiful to watch the teams care for so many kids.
2. This requires more care that continues after surgery
More than half are urology patients and about 90% of them will stay in the hospital longer for post-operative care. By Tuesday we had 20 patients in the ward, and by Friday we are expecting around 35. While this volume puts a bigger burden on the nursing staff, they are handling it with grace, skill, and compassion.
3. We get to see more teaching and collaboration
We’re fortunate to work in a medical school teaching hospital where our local colleagues are deeply engaged. There has been a lot of teaching and collaboration with staff surgeons, residents, and students across many disciplines, including pediatric anesthesia, urology, and ENT.
This team is amazing, hardworking, and collaborative, and it’s great to able to have glowing things to say about absolutely everyone.
#pediatricsurgery #globalhealth #medicaleducation #partnership
“We were very shameful about the baby's cleft before surgery, now we are proud and we feel very happy about the surgery. We would like to thank you very much.” Parent, Ethiopia