Message from the president of The Surgical Society of Ethiopia
Dear Esteemed Members, Colleagues, and Friends,
It is with a profound sense of honor, humility, and responsibility that I address you as the newly elected President of the Surgical Society of Ethiopia (SSE) in the wake of a landmark 30th Annual General Meeting (AGM). Our AGM was not just a celebration of three decades of resilience and growth, but a historic turning point. Together, we launched transformative milestones including the Women in Surgery Ethiopia (WISE) Assembly, our first dedicated digital application, and a strategic restructuring of our regional chapter offices. These achievements signal a modern, decentralized, and forward-thinking SSE.
As we look ahead, the landscape of surgical practice in Ethiopia presents us with profound challenges and unprecedented opportunities. We practice in an environment where limited infrastructure, scarce and constrained resource and disparities in surgical access demand our daily resilience. The burden of surgical disease remains high, and economic realities frequently strain our healthcare ecosystem. These challenges must serve as catalyst for innovation and changes.
The opportunities before us are immense. The launch of our new SSE mobile application bridges the gap between urban centers and rural peripheries, streamlining communication, data collection, and telemedicine. Restructuring our regional chapter offices ensures that the SSE is not an Addis Ababa-centric entity, but a truly national movement that supports surgeons where they are needed most. The establishment of WISE is a proud testament to our commitment to gender equity, mentorship, and empowering women to take their rightful place in surgical leadership indicating a commitment to all-inclusiveness of the administration.
Furthermore, true inclusivity means uniting all generations of surgical practitioners. We will actively bridge the gap between the wisdom of senior consultants, the dynamism of mid-career surgeons, and the energy of our residents and fellows. Every voice from a tertiary teaching to a remote hospital matters. The SSE, thus, must remain the standard bearer for surgical quality elevating academic and clinical excellence in the nation.
We pledge to enhance standardized surgical training ensuring our trainees are equipped with cutting-edge, evidence-based skills; foster high-impact local research contextualized to address Ethiopia’s unique surgical pathology and inform national health policy; leverage our new digital infrastructure to deliver continuous clinical education and professional development across the country; and active participation in institutional accreditation, national curriculum standardization and national health policy planning and decision making.
The milestones of the 30th AGM have laid a magnificent foundation, but the true work begins now. We cannot achieve clinical excellence, policy influence, or professional equity in isolation. I call upon every member to actively engage with your local chapters, utilize our new digital platforms, and champion the ideals of the SSE in your daily practice.
Let us stand united to build a surgical ecosystem that honors our pioneers, empowers our youth, and, above all, delivers safe, timely, and affordable surgical care to every citizen of Ethiopia.
Thank you for your trust, your dedication, and your unwavering commitment to our noble calling.
Mensur Osman MD, FCS (ECSA), FACS
President, Surgical Society of Ethiopia
May 2026