Our History

As recently as the 1970s, Uganda’s neurosurgery was still in the dark. Dr. Jovan Kiryabwire turned on the switch, spearheading the development of a neurosurgical unit at Mulago Hospital in Kampala. His work ethic and vision set the stage for the rapid expansion of neurosurgical care in Uganda.

At the beginning of the 2000s, Uganda had a population of nearly 30 million but only four neurosurgeons. Neurosurgery was victim to the typical shortages of a developing country, such as the difficulty in retaining specialists, lack of modern hospital resources, and limited training facilities.

That sparked the launch of two distinct programs: one by Dr. Benjamin Warf in collaboration with CURE International and the second by Dr. Michael Haglund from Duke University. Dr. Warf’s program focused on establishing a facility for pediatric neurosurgery. Dr. Haglund’s program to increase neurosurgical capacity was founded on a ‘4 T’s Paradigm’: Technology, Twinning, Training, and Top-Down. Embedded within this paradigm was the notion that Uganda needed to train its people to become neurosurgeons. Thus, Duke helped establish the country’s first neurosurgery residency training program.

Efforts from overseas, including the tireless work of Dr. Benjamin Warf, have saved thousands of Ugandan lives. The influx of Ugandans into the Duke Program caused a dynamic shift at Mulago Hospital, chiefly the substantial increase in neurosurgical capacity.