This post originally appeared in the U Office of Global Health newsletter and was published June 2025. This article is republished here with permission.
A ten-year partnership between the University of Utah’s Department of Anesthesiology and The Gambia has grown into a model of international collaboration, marked by mutual respect, innovation, and shared learning. What began with an invitation from a visionary Gambian educator has now evolved into a wide-reaching educational exchange that continues to shape the future of anesthesia care in West Africa.
The relationship took root a decade ago when Professor Momodou Mousa Baro, head of the College of Nursing and director of the nurse anesthesia program at the American International University of West Africa, invited a University of Utah team of anesthesia experts to teach in The Gambia. Professor Baro, widely credited with training much of the country’s anesthesia workforce, welcomed faculty and residents from Utah who began traveling to The Gambia once or twice a year. Their visits focused on teaching, advising student research, and leading the country’s annual national anesthesia review course.
When the COVID-19 pandemic halted international travel, the team was quick to adapt. Recognizing that many student research projects were in fact quality improvement (QI) initiatives, they launched a virtual QI course, ensuring that education—and progress—could continue despite the distance.
After three years of virtual instruction, four anesthesiology residents and three faculty members returned to The Gambia in 2024. Their visit marked a major milestone: the facilitation of the first-ever Gambian national morbidity and mortality grand rounds. Anesthetists from across the country gathered to share and analyze adverse patient cases in a forum that was both candid and collegial.
The team returned in 2025 to expand their impact, advising individual hospital morbidity and mortality conferences and teaching the QI curriculum in person. These in-country efforts aim to foster a culture of continuous learning and systemic improvement in patient care.
Last fall, Professor Baro made a landmark visit to Utah, where he toured the Anesthesiology Department’s Center for Patient Simulation. Despite being unaccustomed to the snowy weather, he was deeply inspired by the simulation-based training methods and is now working with the Utah team to explore ways to bring similar tools to The Gambia.
Looking ahead, both sides hope to continue and deepen this educational exchange. The U group is preparing for their next visit this September to include collaboration on research proposals aiming to improve Gambian patient safety.
With plans for additional bi-directional visits and the implementation of simulation-based learning in The Gambia, the partnership stands as a powerful example of how global collaboration can improve education, strengthen health systems, and build lasting professional bonds in service of a better world.
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