Please support the East Africa LAPP Lab initiative to increase access to high quality laparoscopic training and create a community of East African laparoscopic trainees and educators.
While there is substantial interest in minimally invasive surgery in East Africa, only a few hospitals perform laparoscopic surgery. For example, in Tanzania, 68% of hospitals have laparoscopic equipment yet less than 5 laparoscopic cases are done per week at 90% of these hospitals.
A significant barrier is lack of training and expertise in laparoscopic surgery. Increasing rates of laparoscopic surgery has the potential to significantly improve surgical outcomes. Compared to open surgery, laparoscopic surgery is associated with fewer complications, shorter hospital stay, and improved quality of life.
The East Africa LAPP Lab initiative is a partnership between UCSF, Muhimbili University for Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), and Universidad Católica. Using Universidad Católica’s proven LAPP simulation training platform, MUHAS and UCSF have begun to train Tanzanian surgeons in Dar es Salaam. Since opening the Tanzanian lab in December 2022, 20 surgeons have registered for the course, 180+ hours of individual training hours have been logged, and 1 lab manager has been hired.
Our goal is to raise 70,000 USD to cover ongoing LAPP lab operations in Tanzania and expand this incredible program to Uganda. Your tax-deductible donation will help train more local surgeons in laparoscopy.
To make a secure donation online, use the donation button at the top of this page (Give ©) and follow the instructions below.
When you submit your gift, kindly indicate you are making the contribution in honor of Nathan Brand, the UCSF resident surgeon and UCSF CHESA Fellow currently based in Dar es Salaam who is leading the project with local partners.
Thank you! Please send this page to any family, friends or colleagues who might be interested in donating.
