Review of Neurosurgery in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Historical Approach of a Local Context

Neurosurgical practice in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is challenged by limited resources and infrastructure. The DRC has 16 local residing neurosurgeons for 95 million inhabitants, a ratio of 1 neurosurgeon per 5.9 million Congolese citizens. This is attributable to decades of mismanagement of resources and a loosely regulated healthcare system. Understanding the role of neurosurgery in a historical context is necessary to appreciate and overcome current challenges in the delivery of neurosurgical care. We describe challenges surrounding the development of neurosurgical practice and training. The neurosurgery workforce deficit in the DRC remains substantial. It is essential to understand local neurosurgical history, in its present state and breadth of challenges, to inform future development of neurosurgical care and to secure equitable partnerships between local stakeholders and the international community.