Impact of International Training of Medical Specialists for underdeveloped Countries: Brazil– Angola experience

Introduction: Angola has about 28 million inhabitants and approximately 0.21 physicians/1,000 population. There is only one specialist in some medical fields in the whole country while there is not even one specialist in some other fields. The objective of this study is to investigate the significance of the Cooperation Program for Foreign Doctors (Brazil) and its impact on the provision of specialized medical care in Angola, showing the evolution of the different specialties as well as the emergence of some specialties in Angola. Methods: A retrospective study was performed, identifying the Angolan doctors trained in Brazil by the Cooperation Program for Foreign Doctors. The number and specialty of the trained physicians were obtained from the database of the program, and the number of doctors in each specialty in Angola was obtained by consulting the registry of doctors of the various specialist colleges in Angola. Results: From February 2011 to March 2019, 111 physicians were trained in 32 specialties; there was a greater increase of 50% or more in 6 specialties, with emphasis on geriatrics, haematology, nuclear medicine, surgical oncology and sleep medicine that had no specialists. Conclusion: The lack of specialist doctors is a very common problem in low-income countries; on the other hand, highincome countries are already beginning to limit training in some specialties due to lack of labour market. The Angolan cooperation model could be adopted by several countries to promote a qualitative overall growth in health care.