Currently in Ghana, with a population of 20 million, there are 8 neurosurgeons (3 of whom are close to retirement).
Premature deaths are a daily occurrence due to a lack of desperately needed medical help. Many are never able to enjoy life to the fullest because the care they need is not available to them.
Stroke: A huge issue; there is little to no preventative or proactive treatment.
Epilepsy: There is simply no surgical intervention. Medicines that we take for granted in North America are not only unavailable, there are few to no physicians to prescribe them.
Brain tumours: Individuals are left to die instead of having life-saving surgery to remove a benign tumour; surgery so easy to access in North America. There is an increased frequency of pituitary tumours, which eventually destroys eye sight, causes debilitation and eventually leads to death. Prompt removal would return these individuals to a fully restored state. There are extremely few neurosurgical teams available to perform these surgeries.
A Solution for Some
The Korle-Bu Neuroscience Project was founded after it became very apparent to a group of Vancouver neuroscience experts and caring community that the need for neurosurgery and neurology support in Ghana and West Africa was, and is, critical. Without our help, many precious individuals are facing life-threatening and debilitating diseases and ultimately premature death. The devastating effect on families and communities is heartbreaking.
The Korle-Bu Neuroscience Foundation (B.C. non-profit society) and the Korle-Bu Foundation (Canada) are addressing the critical need for improved neurological care in Ghana and the region of West Africa.
A training program has been initiated to provide a base of competent professionals for the new Neuroscience Centre of Excellence facility in Accra, Ghana. The facility will be built when funds are available.
Funds are being raised through donations, and through the sale of Ghanaian hand-crafted products through, 'With Love From Africa.'
Click on 'Real People, Real Stories' to read about some of the real-life situations in Ghana.
