Japanese medtech firm Olympus Corporation has announced the launch of the "Kenya Endoscopy Human Resource Development Support Project for the Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Diseases" to promote endoscopic care in Kenya, where there is a shortage of endoscopists.

This programme is funded by "Projects for Global Growth of Medical Technologies, in 2023" conducted by the National Center for Global Health and Medicine under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan.

Olympus will conduct this project from July 2023 to January 2024 at Kenyatta National Hospital, a leading medical education institution in Kenya, in addition to other major medical institutions, including seven that received the latest endoscopic equipment provided by the Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) last year. Japanese physicians affiliated with the partner institutions will serve as lecturers and both train Kenyan doctors directly and instruct on how to train the next generation of endoscopists.

Training will be provided by Japanese lecturers in the areas of standard endoscopic screening and treatment of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts through classroom lectures, clinical guidance, and hands-on training using practical models.

Educational activities on gastrointestinal endoscopy, which is indispensable for improving the level of medical care for gastrointestinal diseases in Kenya, will be conducted in cooperation with the International Medical Department of Japan's Kyushu University Hospital.