Sustainable laparoscopic skills – Tanzania
Dinsdag 10 februari 2026Through this project, surgeons and doctors in training in Tanzania and Uganda are trained in laparoscopic (keyhole surgery) skills using e-learning, affordable training kits, and practical hands-on courses. The train-the-trainer model enables local healthcare professionals to pass on these skills independently.
Laparoscopy enables safe, less invasive surgery and is an important alternative for diagnostics when CT scans are not available. This sustainable approach improves the quality of surgical care, reduces waiting times, and gives patients faster and safer access to life-saving treatments.
Goal:
Sustainable laparoscopic skills Africa
Theme:
Health skills and surgery
Location:
Moshi (Tanzania) and Kampala (Oeganda)
Health pioneer:
Emma Gertsen
Project
Doel
Resultaten
Project
In East Africa, access to safe surgery is limited by a shortage of well-trained surgeons and long waiting times for diagnostics.
This project combines e-learning, training kits, and practical training to teach local healthcare professionals laparoscopic skills and build sustainable surgical capacity.
Doel
Developing and implementing a sustainable training program for laparoscopic surgery that is embedded in existing training structures. By training local surgeons to become trainers, an independently sustainable program is created that structurally improves the quality, safety, and accessibility of surgical care.
Resultaten
- 20 healthcare professionals trained in laparoscopic skills
- Local trainers trained using the train-the-trainer model
- Integration of course into existing hospital training programs
- Shorter waiting times for diagnosis and treatment
Health pioneer Emma Gertsen
Emma Gertsen is a health pioneer and physician-researcher affiliated with Global Surgery Amsterdam and Sustainable Surgical Oncology. She obtained her PhD from Utrecht University and is committed to improving surgical care in Sub-Saharan Africa. With her affinity for surgical skills and education, she develops sustainable training programs for local surgeons, making safe and modern surgical techniques accessible to patients in Tanzania and Uganda.
Watch Emma’s project and motivation below:
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