NED Foundation

A Joint Spanish & American Effort in Eastern & Central Africa

The aim of the NED Foundation is to promote scientific, technical, cultural and training activities of the medical personnel in Eastern and Central Africa to help improve the delivery of neuroscience-related Healthcare. The Foundation allows volunteers to help develop and stimulate local practitioners in learning the latest neurosurgical techniques and concepts. A summary of recent NED activity is provided below.

A total of 376 infants with hydrocephalus received surgery by Mobile Neuroendoscopic NED Program. The initial hydrocephalus project spawned an additional and highly innovative program to develop neurosurgery as a specialty in Kenya and Zanzibar. This project involved 49 volunteer neurosurgeons and lasted from 2009 to 2013. As a result, 60 medical expeditions were dispatched to the Coast General Hospital in Mombasa (Kenya) and to the Mnazi Moja Hospital in Zanzibar, and hundreds of neurosurgical operations were performed. In addition, an agreement was signed to create the Mnazi Mmoja Neuro NED Institute, partially financed by NED.

“This group of trainees will double the number of neurosurgeons in Uganda” – Michael Haglund, MD3

Conclusion: Mobile endoscopic treatment of hydrocephalus in East Africa is a very promising technique that is affordable and well suited to this impoverished context, and gives reasonable success rates. It has also led to major developments in medicine, particularly in neurosurgery.

Learn more about NED: www.nedfoundation.org