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206 Building bridges in developmental pediatrics; a virtual collaborative teaching and capacity-building model from Ethiopia to Canada

bmjpo · 2026-07-14 · canonical JSON source

5 visible annotations · policy: published · automated confidence ≥ 75.00%

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Children with disabilities in low-resource settings face significant barriers to early identification, intervention, and participation. Ethiopia had no formal engagement in the field of developmental pediatrics, and childhood disability care was not prioritized within the health system. In 2019, a developmental pediatrics clinic was established at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH), Ethiopia, led by Dr. Selamenesh Tsige Legas with mentorship from seniors. The initiative began with weekly clinics and outreach to global experts for mentorship and patient care consultations. The Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) was implemented for early CP detection in TASH. A structured HINE training program was delivered to TASH residents with ongoing mentorship and integration into clinical practice. In parallel, monthly virtual teaching sessions were launched for pediatrics residents at Ayder Tertiary Hospital in Mekelle, Tigray, serving war-impacted and underserved populations covering a wide variety of developmental pediatrics topics inviting global experts to teach the pediatrics residents. Subsequently, the developmental pediatrics faculty at Western University is engaged in regular teaching of the pediatrics residents at Mekelle University. GMCD training was provided to the Pediatrics residents by the developers, with ongoing translation into two local languages. Overall, this model has improved diagnostic accuracy, early referrals, and ignited more interest in the field of developmental pediatrics. Participation barriers in low-resource setting such as lack of tools, training, and coordinated care, have been addressed through clinic-based mentorship, tool adaptation, curriculum integration and community linkage. This initiative demonstrates how locally led, globally supported models can transform education and disability care.