Horizons Trust Gambia, in partnership with The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and MRC Gambia Unit, has the pleasure of welcoming the World Gastroenterology Organization to The Gambia to lead a Gastroenterology Regional Training Course for the first time for the West African sub-region at large. Attending healthcare workers have been attracted from a number of countries in West Africa (including Nigeria, Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia) with the course places oversubscribed. This course brings to sub-Saharan Africa for the first time the best specialists and trainers the world has to offer (with a high powered faculty from Canada, USA, UK, and South Africa) with the aim being to train and update Gambian and other West African health workers on the principles and practice of gastroenterology including cutting edge endoscopic skills for the 21st century. Over and above practicing health professionals from The Gambia and the sub-region, some course places have been made available to medical students from the University of The Gambia Medical School.  The impact of such training programme in improving the quality of care for patients affected by gastroenterological diseases in West Africa is potentially transformational.
Bringing the best trainers the world has to offer to our doorstep to lead training of health workers from different corners of the sub-region is an amazing feat. This incredible milestone would not have been achieved without the support of all key stakeholders including generous philanthropic contributions from West African Health Organization (WAHO), Karl Storz (German owned global medical equipment company), MRC Gambia and Horizons Trust UK.