WORLD JOURNAL OF PLASTIC SURGERY

en The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Reconstructive Surgery and Training Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Sectional Survey تخصصي Special مقالات اصيل Original Article Background: In Sub-Saharan Africa, which already faced challenges due to a lack of surgeons and facilities, the COVID-19 pandemic could significantly disrupt surgical activities and training programs. "2nd Chance", a non-governmental organization providing training program to enhance local reconstructive surgery capacity in this region since 2015, could play a crucial role in addressing these issues. We aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 on the activity of sub-Saharan African reconstructive surgeons collaborating with "2nd Chance" organization and evaluate its effect on the organization's training programs. Methods: In the course of 2022, an online cross-sectional survey was conducted among reconstructive surgeons working in sub-Saharan African countries and collaborating with "2nd Chance".  The survey consisted of 57 questions covering demographics, impacts of COVID-19 on personal life, clinical and training activities. Results: Of 469 surgeons eligible for the study, 240 were included and 51 responded. The impact of COVID-19 was felt personally in terms of health and stress. Clinical activities were severely affected, with some reporting higher mortality due to surgical cancellations and delays. Regarding training, there was a shift from practical to theoretical learning, though overall impact was moderate. One-third of participants were able to attend "2nd Chance" workshops. Among the 17 planned workshops, 9 were successfully conducted, and 4 of them exclusively featured African trainers. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had substantial consequences on reconstructive surgery in sub-Saharan Africa, impacting more clinical practices than training programs. Collaboration between African and European trainers proved essential during the pandemic. In future pandemics, South-South collaborations should be prioritized.   COVID-19, Training, Reconstructive surgery, Sub-Saharan Africa 11 18 http://wjps.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-928-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mariama Ka lionel.dumont@2nd-chance.org 100319475328460015872 100319475328460015872 Yes Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland Ali Modarressi 100319475328460015873 100319475328460015873 No “2nd Chance” Association, Geneva, Switzerland Lionel Dumont 100319475328460015874 100319475328460015874 No Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive care and Acute Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland