In April 2026, Med Surg Support carried out an eight-day mission across West and East Africa centered on two major objectives:

• contributing to academic training in minimally invasive surgery in Dakar
• taking part in the first minimally invasive surgery congress in Ethiopia, organized in Addis Ababa by MIS Africa.

The first stage took place in Dakar, where Dr. Marie-Cécile Blanchet and Dr. Olivier Béatrix took part in teaching the second cohort of the University Diploma in digestive laparoscopy, led by Prof. Ousmane Ka. This program now stands as one of the cornerstones of minimally invasive surgery training in French-speaking Africa and is helping bring forth a new generation of locally trained surgeons.

The mission then continued in Addis Ababa for the first minimally invasive surgery congress organized by MIS Africa, under the leadership of Dr. Efeson Thomas and Dr. Segni Bekele. This landmark event brought together many African surgeons around the development of minimally invasive techniques across the continent.

During the congress, Med Surg Support presented its experience of cooperation with MIS Africa and its commitment to advancing minimally invasive surgery, surgical training, and biomedical support in Africa. The gathering also helped strengthen the ties between the various stakeholders engaged in this continent-wide effort.

This mission perfectly illustrates Med Surg Support’s mission: to build bridges between countries, institutions, and healthcare professionals in order to foster the sustainable development of minimally invasive surgery in Africa.