Evolution of Neurosurgery in the Arab World and Moroccan contribution

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Both the contribution of the Arab World in the history of neurosurgery (NS) and its recent development are not known to neurosurgeons worldwide. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS:The aim is to give the reader an overview of the history of NS in the Arab World, its development over the last decades and the Moroccan contribution to this development. RESULTS:The first scientific roots for the practice of NS were born in the Middle East. Trephination, has been practiced for thousands of years before Christ (B. C.), by Assyrians, Babylonians and Pharaohs' physicians. The oldest medical manuscripts are the Cuneiform Medical Tablets found in Mesopotamia, and Edwin Smith's Surgical Papyrus in Egypt. These first steps would become confirmed during the Middle Ages through the influence of Arab and Islamic civilization. Modern NS was introduced into the Arab World by general surgeons of the colonial medical diaspora during the first half of the last century. Thanks to the effort of the pioneers, the number of neurosurgeons would increase over a limited period of time to reach an honorable number and ratio of 3313 and 1: 128530, respectively). Today, all Arab neurosurgeons have a national society of neurosurgery and are gathered in the Pan Arab Neurosurgical Society (PANS) which publish an official journal, the Pan Arab Journal of Neurosurgery (PAJN). The Moroccan Society of NS have made a significant contribution in the recent evolution of Arab NS and its international recognition when organizing the first World Congress of Neurosurgery (Marrakech, 2005) and initiating the first regional training program for young neurosurgeons in 2002. CONCLUSION:The neurosurgeons from the Arab world should be proud of their immense contribution to the history of medicine and NS. Even though the introduction of modern NS has been delayed in the majority of Arab countries, the devotion and sacrifice of the pioneers have enabled them to make for the lost time over a short period of time. This has enabled Arab neurosurgeons to meet the needs of the population in their respective countries.

Women Neurosurgeons Worldwide: Characterizing the Global Female Neurosurgical Workforce

“…Neurosurgical workforce data were obtained for 210 nations through 42 included sources ( Supplemental Digital Content 2, Supplemental Table 1 , http://links.lww.com/NEU/E46). 1,17,18,22-61 A world map denoting total neurosurgeons per capita is shown in Figure 1. The color scale denotes countries in green if they have at least 1 neurosurgeon per 200 000 population as this has been described as the minimum requirement for essential neurosurgical workforce to address neurotrauma in low- and middle-income countries.…”