Reverse Linkage

74 REVERSE LINKAGE recently focusing on jointly organizing capacity building programmes for African officials and providing experts in the vital fields of health, education, infrastructure, agriculture and irrigation. These activities have enabled the precious transfer of knowledge to sometimes isolated communities, thereby providing them with the means to kick-start their sustainable development process. In the area of health, one of the IsDB initiatives in which the EAPD is particularly proud of taking part is the Alliance to Fight Avoidable Blindness, because it resonates with a strong belief that better health is central to human well- being and development in all of its dimensions. Through a 20-minute surgery, a blind or near-blind person is able to see again or avoid blindness. This is incredible and life chang- ing, yet simple and achievable. The partnership aims to help some of the 40 million people suffering from avoidable blindness to properly see again. It is also currently working to launch several campaigns in a number of African coun- tries over five years. Chad will be the first, with 500 cataract and glaucoma surgical operations planned there, as well as the provision of medical equipment to Chadian hospitals. Other EAPD-IsDB collaboration projects are in the pipe- line.The philosophy behind them is to pull together resources and expertise to multiply the benefits of intervention. For example, capacity building programmes are being planned in urology and nephrology diseases for African countries that are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in partnership with the Mohamed Ghoneim Urology and Nephrology Mansoura Center, an Egyptian centre of excellence in medicine. Under this initiative, an intensive training programme for urologists from the Mulago Hospital in Uganda is being organized at the Mansoura Center, the first step towards establishing a centre for urology and neph- rology in the Ugandan hospital. The long-term aim is to gradually expand the programme to create a regional centre serving communities across East Africa. The aim is ambi- tious, but the African saying: “if you wish to move mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting stones today”, is apt. Since its inception, the EAPD has sought to capitalise on Egypt’s comparative advantage in medical competence by engaging with national centres of excellence that are of inter- national standing in various medical fields. Partnerships were quickly forged because all parties involved saw the potential benefits to human development. These South-South Cooperation partnerships have proven to be successful, making a high impact on many lives in African countries. In addition to the urology and nephrology Mansoura Center, where a number of training programmes are being developed, the EAPD is honoured to be partnering with the Magdy Yacoub Heart Foundation (MYF). Headed by the world-renowned Egyptian heart surgeon Sir Magdy Yacoub, the foundation offers state-of-the-art free health services to the less privileged, and at international standards, mainly through its Aswan Heart Centre. The EAPD has been working closely with the foundation to develop African expertise in cardiovascular diseases. This partnership has taken many forms, all with positive results. Promising African surgeons are receiving extended periods of free training in the Aswan Center. Once they return home, they are not only able to perform complex heart interventions, H.E. the Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi meeting with the editors-in-chief of the most important English and French newspapers in Africa at the end of a visit to Egypt organised by the EAPD Image: EAPD