The need for competence in endoscopy in the subcontinent of Africa is growing. As access to health care improves, the advantages of minimally invasive endoscopic procedures over open surgery in terms of cost and morbidity are apparent. One way of boot-strapping quality endoscopy in Africa is to offer focused, high-volume practical endoscopy training to core physicians at suitable training centers, providing a service and teaching base from which local training can progress exponentially. This program seeks to facilitate the access to such endoscopy training to doctors from Africa at expert centers in India.
It is expected that trainees will gain manual skills competence to perform the procedures autonomously, as well as improvement of cognitive skills from spending time in a qualified unit. However, further education, likely from site visits to African regional centers, will be required to fully master the procedures safely and consistently in patients.