A connection sparked at the 2023 Global Health Symposium has grown into a dynamic, mutually beneficial partnership between the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the University of Buea in Cameroon, one that reflects the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health’s (MHIGH) commitment to sustainable, relationship-driven global collaboration.

“This partnership is exactly what we hope to see emerge from MHIGH’s work. Relationships that begin with shared conversation and grow into sustained, mutually beneficial collaboration,” said Matt Heimann, M.D., associate professor, Department of Emergency Medicine and associate director, Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health. “What started at the 2023 symposium has evolved into ongoing educational exchange that is responsive to local needs and grounded in mutual respect.”

Over the past year and a half, the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine has worked closely with leadership at Buea Regional Hospital and the University of Buea as they launched Cameroon’s newest Emergency Medicine residency program. What started as dialogue and shared vision has evolved into hands-on educational exchange, virtual collaboration, and the development of foundational research projects designed to strengthen emergency care training in the region.Gobina and Heimann

In November 2024, an Emergency Medicine team traveled to Buea, Cameroon, for a nine-day visit focused on relationship building and educational support. The visiting team included Will Davis, M.D., assistant professor, Emergency Medicine; Erin Shufflebarger, M.D., assistant professor, Emergency Medicine; Christine Shaw, M.D., assistant professor, Emergency Medicine; and a resident from the department.

“The most important outcome of that visit was the relationships we began to build,” said Davis. “It allowed all parties to identify how we could most effectively collaborate on educational materials and opportunities moving forward.”

During the visit, the UAB team paired basic emergency medicine point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) didactics with non-clinical hands-on POCUS training as the first step in the educational partnership. Additionally, they were able to conduct a site visit to better understand the hospital’s infrastructure and the needs of the newly launched residency program. These conversations laid the groundwork for a partnership centered on responsiveness to local priorities rather than prescriptive solutions.

Since that initial visit, collaboration has continued through a monthly virtual journal club that brings together UAB faculty, Buea Regional Hospital faculty, and Emergency Medicine residents in Cameroon. Articles are selected in advance, and residents lead presentations followed by open discussion on how findings may influence clinical practice in different settings.

“The journal club has been a meaningful way to connect consistently,” Davis explained. “It creates space for shared learning and professional exchange while respecting the realities of different clinical environments.”Gobina, left with Tita during the symposium

In parallel, UAB faculty have been working with Buea Emergency Medicine residency leadership to develop research projects aimed at understanding resident educational experiences and patient demographics. These efforts are designed not only to support academic development but also to inform how training opportunities can be strengthened within the residency program itself.

That spirit of reciprocity has been central to the partnership’s success.

“The collaboration with UAB has been instrumental in supporting the growth of our Emergency Medicine residency program,” said Ronald Gobina, M.D., coordinator of the Emergency Medicine Residency Program of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Buea. “We are building a foundation that strengthens training for our residents while advancing emergency care for the communities we serve.”

As the partnership continues to mature, both institutions are focused on long-term sustainability and growth. Potential next steps include expanded ultrasound education, the development of simulation-based curricula, and continued collaboration shaped by the needs identified by Buea faculty and residents.

“Our hope is to supplement the residency program in whatever ways their leadership believes will be most beneficial,” said Davis. Gobina, second from left, with UAB team during 2025 visit

A significant milestone in this growing collaboration took place in 2025, when Gobina attended the Global Health Symposium as a guest of UAB. His visit reflects both the strength of the partnership and the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health’s commitment to reciprocal exchange.

“I am impressed with how far this partnership has come and the impact it has had on our young emergency medicine program,” said Halle-Ekane Gregory, M.D., dean, Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Buea.