Our Collaborating Organizations
Sahlgrenska International Care
Swedish African Neurosurgery Collaboration (SANC) har idag ett mångårigt etablerat samarbete med ett flertal västafrikanska länder inom neurokirurgi. SANC har framför allt drivit utbildning på plats av relevanta personalgrupper samt donerat riktade nyckelutrustning från Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset (SU), såsom CT-apparater och operationsmikroskop. De insatser som genomförs i olika västafrikanska länder planeras i samarbete med lokala universitetssjukhus och är förankrade hos deras hälso-och sjukvårdsmyndigheter, därmed utformade med utgångpunkt i lokala behov. Det finns en långsiktig ansats med väl uttryckta målbilder och noga uppföljningar av resultatet. Genom vårt samarbete med SANC så ges personal inom SU möjlighet att få en bredare syn på problemlösning, en ökad kreativitet och att bidra till en effektivare vård med den kompetens som erhålls efter en avslutad insats (ett biståndsuppdrag som innefattar en utbildningsinsats på plats i annat land), vilket ingår i SUs mål att vara ett sjukhus i framkant.
https://www.sahlgrenska.se/en/sahlgrenska-international-care/
Swedish Neurosurgical Society
The Swedish Neurosurgical Society, representing the Swedish Neurosurgeons gave the necessary financial and logistic support to start up SANC. At three annual meetings (2017-2019), the society voted to subsidize the project. This has given neurosurgeons from different university clinics opportunities to participate in the educational missions cooperating with volunteers from other professions well as our African counterparts. In addition, the Swedish Neurosurgical Society in 2025 founded an annual travel grant for a neurosurgical resident/ young neurosurgeon to join a SANC-mission together with more experienced colleagues.
Swedish Neurosurgical Nursing Association
Swedish Neurosurgical Nursing Association is a non-profit professional association for nurses within the field of Neurosurgical care. The association`s purpose is to promote high quality knowledge exchange in the form of development, education and research. The association also aims to initiatie, develop and coordinate knowledge exchange nationally and internationally. Swedish Neurosurgical Nursing Association has provided support to nurses working for SANC.
Svensk Neurokirurgisk Sjuksköterskeförening | Svensk sjuksköterskeförening
The Edward Francis Small teaching Hospital
The Edward Francis Small teaching Hospital is the only teaching hospital in Gambia, mainland Africa’s smallest country. At Ndemban campus, a neurosurgical unit led by dr John Jabang is located.
Since 2021, SANC has collaborated with dr Jabang who has participated in missions to Liberia and Nigeria. During June 2023, SANC organized the first neurosurgical mission in Gambia, hosted by EFSTH and dr Jabang. The mission included the donation of an operating microscope, and was a great success with more than 20 cases performed and interest also from neighboring Senegal. Research collaborations has continued, and a second mission was held in January 2025, where several important developments could be seen, including increased staff numbers, number and complexity of cases performed and better workflow.
A mobile CT scanner has been donated, transforming neurotrauma care at Ndemban. This strong collaboration will continue with dr Jabang as a great partner to SANC.
WANNN – West Africa Neuro Nurses Network
The Gambia, Nigeria, Liberia, Sweden, Ghana and Canada
We are a multinational virtual group coming together, with the support of two non-profit organizations:
– Swedish African Neurosurgical Collaboration (SANC)
– Korle-Bu Neuroscience Foundation (KBNF)
We share knowledge, experience and aim for future collaboration between institutions.
Neuroscience nurses focus on the care of patients with brain, spine and nervous system disorders. It is a challenging specialty within the discipline of nursing. Nursing in the clinical practice entails caring for patients to increase wellbeing and reduce harm. Given care and treatment need to be evaluated from relevant outcome measures to improve safety and reach optimal health outcomes.
Together we are stronger to improve neuroscience nursing education and training in West Africa with an interprofessional approach.
Interested in joining WANNN?
Contact; charlotte.forars@gmail.com
UNTH Nigeria
The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital is a teaching hospital located in Enugu, Nigeria. SANC visited this hospital in 2017 on the pilot trip in West Africa and it was subsequently the destination for the very first mission in 2019. Six volunteers from Göteborg, Uppsala, Stockholm and Lund who never had worked together before travelled to Enugu to spend two weeks together, filled with challenges, hard work and camaraderie. Thanks to excellent hosting by Enoch Uche and his co-workers, this mission was a great success and set the standards for the missions to come. SANC returned in a second mission in 2022 and we are determined to continue this partnership in the future.