Neurosurgery Initiatives in Global Health

Abstract

The lush mountains and valleys that frame the picturesque town of Mbale at the foot of Mount Elgon 150 miles northeast of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, epitomize the beautiful country Winston Churchill called the “Pearl of Africa.” Cool winds blow in from Lake Victoria and the Indian Ocean, tempering the tropical equatorial climate and bringing precipitation and abundant rainfall that peaks in April and October. Tourists are drawn to the verdant landscapes and natural beauty, but they are impugned by health problems that plague this part of the world. The leading cause of death in Uganda is human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. In fact, almost 40% of all deaths are attributable to an infectious cause; by contrast, just 2.4% of deaths are attributable to ischemic heart disease and 3.9% to stroke (2, 3). The rate of infant mortality in Uganda is almost 10 times as high as that of the United States or the United Kingdom; 1 in 18 Ugandan children die before their first birthday and 1 in 11 die before their fifth