Ameh Emmanuel A, Adejuyigbe Olusanya, Nmadu Paul T
Division of Paediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, 810001 Nigeria.
J Pediatr Surg. 2006 Mar;41(3):542-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2005.11.053.
Pediatric surgery is a well-established specialty in many developed countries, but little is known about the status of the specialty in most developing countries.
The status of pediatric surgery in Nigeria was reviewed.
Nigeria currently has an estimated population of 126 million people with a growth rate of 2.8%, one half of whom are children. Pediatric surgery is a well-recognized specialty in the country. At the moment, there are 35 trained pediatric surgeons but only 26 are fully functional (1 pediatric surgeon:2.2 million children). Most of the available pediatric surgeons are in tertiary hospitals in major cities and towns. There is a well-established formal training program and certification run by the West African College of Surgeons; it takes an average of 4.5 to 6 years to train in pediatric surgery, 2 years of which must be spent in general surgery. Only 1 to 2 trainees graduate every year, and there are less than 10 trainees in the 5 accredited training centers at the moment. Funding for training is poor, and pediatric surgical research receives little or no funding.
There is a need for more pediatric surgeons in Nigeria. More trainees need to be mentored and encouraged to take up the specialty. Collaboration with centers in developed countries and other parts of Africa and improved funding are necessary to improve the profile of the specialty.
小儿外科在许多发达国家是一个成熟的专科，但在大多数发展中国家，人们对该专科的现状了解甚少。
对尼日利亚小儿外科的现状进行了回顾。
尼日利亚目前估计有1.26亿人口，增长率为2.8%，其中一半是儿童。小儿外科在该国是一个得到广泛认可的专科。目前，有35名经过培训的小儿外科医生，但只有26名能完全履职（1名小儿外科医生：220万儿童）。大多数现有的小儿外科医生在主要城镇的三级医院工作。西非外科医生学院设有完善的正规培训项目和认证；小儿外科培训平均需要4.5至6年，其中必须有2年用于普通外科培训。每年只有1至2名学员毕业，目前在5个认可的培训中心学员不足10名。培训资金匮乏，小儿外科研究几乎没有或根本没有获得资金。
尼日利亚需要更多的小儿外科医生。需要指导和鼓励更多学员从事该专科。与发达国家和非洲其他地区的中心开展合作并增加资金投入，对于提升该专科的水平很有必要。
