Departments of Neurology (Chemali) and Psychiatry (Chemali, Fricchione), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; and Department of Psychiatry, Boston Medical Center (Henderson).
J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2022 Winter;34(1):77-83. doi: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.21010003. Epub 2021 Oct 29.
Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of worldwide death and disability and continue to increase in both developed and developing countries. There is a need to address and treat neuropsychiatric disorders in low-income countries, especially in the Horn of Africa. Capacity building by training local doctors and health care workers is a laborious endeavor, with challenges piling up along the way. Nevertheless, the rewards are great when brain specialists who are able to address the needs in their country and treat their fellow citizens receive the training needed to do so effectively. The present article describes a coordinated administrative, educational, and clinical effort to develop and implement a dual residency program in psychiatry and neurology at the University of Hargeisa in Somaliland. The authors highlight the foundations of the program and the challenges faced during its development and implementation in an area of regional conflict. The program provides evidence that this aim is achievable and serves as a model for others seeking to replicate it in other low- and middle-income countries.
非传染性疾病是全球死亡和残疾的主要原因，在发达国家和发展中国家都呈上升趋势。需要解决和治疗低收入国家的神经精神障碍，特别是在非洲之角。通过培训当地医生和卫生工作者来进行能力建设是一项艰苦的努力，在这个过程中会遇到很多挑战。然而，当能够满足本国需求并为同胞提供治疗的脑科专家接受了有效治疗所需的培训时，回报是巨大的。本文介绍了在索马里兰的哈尔格萨大学，为发展和实施精神病学和神经病学双重住院医师培训项目而进行的协调行政、教育和临床努力。作者强调了该项目的基础，以及在一个区域冲突地区发展和实施过程中所面临的挑战。该项目表明，这一目标是可以实现的，并为其他寻求在其他低收入和中等收入国家复制该项目的人提供了一个模式。
