WHO ARE WE

Our Journey

ANPALOP stands at the forefront of cross-country knowledge exchange and care enhancement within the neurosurgery realm, significantly impacting patient outcomes and medical practices.

The journey of ANPALOP began with a vision to bridge the gap in neurosurgical care across Portuguese-speaking African countries, uniting experts in a mission of collaborative advancement.

ANPALOP has diligently been expanding their efforts in connecting with several partners in the field including various medical institutions, governments and associations, shaping the future landscape of neurosurgery across the region.

It all started with dr Ernest Barthélemy, a Haitian American Neurosurgeon based in New York with a Master’s in Public Health and Arts. As a member of the young neurosurgeon’s committee of the WFNS, he got to work together with Dr. Ana Cristina Veiga, a Cape Verdian Neurosurgeon who also formed part of this committee. She left her country to pursue her dream of becoming a physician and Neurosurgeon. Since there is no medical school or residency program in Cape Verde she moved to Recife in Brazil. After finishing her medical degree, she entered residency in Recife at one of the WFNS reference centers for Training Young African Neurosurgeons with Professor Hildo as program director.

Dr. Ellianne dos Santos Rubio, a Dutch Angolan neurosurgeon trained in the Netherlands was recruited to re-establish a neurosurgical department in Curaçao (Caribbean) pertaining to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. After her fellowship micro neurosurgical fellowship in São Paulo, she started her neurosurgical career in Curaçao. Her longing to give back to her country of origin, send her on a quest. She contacted Dr André Beer-Furlan, a Brazilian neurosurgeon working the USA after reading his published manuscript about neurosurgical residency in a Brazil-Angolan collaboration. This let to more conversations with several neurosurgeons in the field of global neurosurgery and eventually led her to connect to Dr. Ernest Bartélemy. They found to have shared commonalities in their academic goals to improve neurosurgical access in the Caribbean and around the globe.

He subsequently introduced her to Dr. Ana Cristina Veiga. Dr. Ana was already acquainted with Dr. Mikail Sallé, a Mozambiquan neurosurgeon, who after his neurosurgical residency in Cuba, was pursuing a vascular and skull base fellowship at a WFNS training center in São Paulo with Professor Luis Borba as his program director. Dr. Mikail, who at the time was still finishing his fellowship, was planning to return to his home country in Mozambique to build vascular and skull base capacity, thus far lacking in Mozambique. Dr. Ana, Dr. Ellianne, and Dr. Mikhail came together to form the board of A.N.PALOP and where officially founded after their inaugural meeting in December of 2023 at the WFNS in South Africa. A.N.PALOP currently has 40 active members consisting of local and diaspora PALOP neurosurgeons and residents. More are expected to join our efforts.

Our Core Values

Guiding principles that drive our mission and define our approach to neurosurgical care.

Collaboration

Embracing unity and cooperation among neurosurgeons to elevate standards of care, exchange expertise, and enhance patient outcomes.

Innovation

Championing creative solutions and advancements in neurosurgical practices to push boundaries, improve techniques, and drive progress in patient care.

Empowerment

Empowering the next generation of neurosurgeons through education, training initiatives, and mentorship programs to ensure a sustainable legacy of expertise and care excellence.

Stay Connected

Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on the latest advancements in neurosurgery and upcoming events.

en_USEnglish