This Initiative was launched in direct response to one of the most urgent public health crises facing the African continent: medical brain drain, often resulting in the shortage of qualified medical professionals.

 

Each year, Africa loses nearly $1 billion to outbound medical tourism, driven by persistent perceptions of unreliable care, under-resourced facilities, and weak clinical decision infrastructure. At one point, 40 of the 55 countries globally facing critical healthcare workforce shortages were in Africa, according to the World Health Organization, as skilled clinicians continue to emigrate to other countries in search of better working conditions.

 

These systemic pressures concentrate at the point of care. Under-resourced hospitals and clinics are often staffed by overextended and early-career providers who must make high-stakes, life-altering clinical decisions with limited access to specialists, minimal mentorship, and outdated diagnostic and decision-support tools. 

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To better understand the current state of these challenges, Trillion Cells is currently seeking formal clearance and institutional collaboration to conduct an on-site study in Liberia, one of the many African countries affected by medical brain drain. The goal of this study is to directly assess the most pressing challenges associated with diagnostic decision-making within the clinical setting.

 

This study will help identify specific and current pain points where intelligent clinical systems could deliver the greatest impact.