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ANZSVS Conference 2025
Service Mapping of Vascular Surgery Capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study by the Global Vascular Companionship
Poster
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Poster

Disciplines

Vascular

Presentation Description

Institution: University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health - Victoria, Australia

Purpose: Sub-Saharan Africa faces a growing burden of vascular disease, yet vascular surgical services across the region remain limited, unevenly distributed, and largely undocumented. The Global Vascular Companionship (GVC), a not-for-profit organisation supporting vascular care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), has initiated a pilot study to assess existing vascular surgical capacity across selected Sub-Saharan African countries to inform targeted service development and training programs. Methodology: An abbreviated survey instrument was developed to collect core hospital-level data, including inpatient bed capacity, presence of surgical and vascular services, availability of intensive care, CT imaging, and interest in vascular training. Hospitals were selected based on location in cities with populations >100,000 or national capitals, with preference for university-affiliated tertiary centres possessing a general surgery department and infrastructure supportive of vascular surgery (e.g. ICU, CT angiography, equipped theatres). Institutional contacts were identified through professional networks and public directories. The survey was distributed to selected facilities across Central and Southern Africa. Results: Data collection is currently in progress. Preliminary institutional responses have been received and are being analysed. Interim findings will include descriptive statistics on infrastructure, workforce availability, and institutional readiness. Qualitative insights from free-text responses will be synthesised to identify key barriers and facilitators to vascular service expansion. Conclusion: This pilot study aims to generate the first structured dataset on vascular surgery capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa. The findings will inform GVC’s future outreach, capacity-building, and training initiatives, and may serve as a foundation for regional partnerships to strengthen vascular care delivery across LMICs.
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Authors

Dr Shahzad Sadiq - , Dr Ashton Arthur - , Dr Iman Bayat - , Dr Sabatta Tsotetsi -