An ongoing blended training programme for the surgical management of noma sequelae in West Africa

This poster, presented at the Geneva Health Forum 2026, describes the implementation and preliminary evaluation of an ongoing blended training programme for the surgical management of noma sequelae in West Africa. The programme combines ten live online teaching sessions, open to all interested participants, with mentored surgical missions and faculty-moderated case review for ten selected West African surgeons. The theoretical course included 20 hours of teaching and 18 faculty contributors, with 165 registrations, including faculty, and a mean of 44 connections per session. At the time of reporting, four surgical missions had been completed and five were planned. An anonymous evaluation survey received 37 responses (22%), including eight of the ten selected surgeons. All respondents reported a knowledge gain, and 33 of 37 found what they were looking for. Language was identified as a major barrier by 18 respondents, highlighting translation as a priority for improvement. These preliminary findings support the feasibility of a collaborative, cross-country training model combining online education with mentored surgical practice. Longitudinal evaluation will assess its outcomes and sustainability.