760 - Pediatric Interventional Radiology in Ethiopia: Current Status, Challenges, and Roadmap to Establishment

Learning Objectives: To understand the current state of pediatric IR in Ethiopia, recognize the barriers limiting its establishment, and explore a context-specific roadmap for establishing a sustainable practice that ensures equitable access to minimally invasive care for children in the country.

Background: Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa, with a population of 132,059,767 as of 2024, of which 39.1% is aged between 0 and 14 years. In 2008, the radiology department at the country’s largest teaching hospital partnered with a children’s hospital in the USA to establish Ethiopia’s first pediatric radiology fellowship, successfully training subspecialists and incorporating basic image-guided procedures. Meanwhile, adult IR practice and fellowship training have also been initiated through the collaboration of two local institutions.

Clinical Findings/Procedure Details: Being a highly specialized field, pediatric IR encounters unique and significant challenges when operating within low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. These include the absence of structured training and lack of trained professionals; a lack of infrastructure, equipment, and maintenance; the additional unique skills and personnel required in pediatric IR; limited funding; bureaucratic hurdles; lack of healthcare research, including in IR; and a decreased global focus on IR.

A phased roadmap for establishing pediatric IR in Ethiopia includes:

Phase 1 (Years 1–2): Preparation — conduct a readiness assessment, strengthen infrastructure, build partnerships, and procure equipment.

Phase 2 (Year 3): Training — leverage Ethiopia’s existing pediatric radiology and adult IR fellowships, supported by international collaborations.

Phase 3 (Year 4): Establishment — graduate the first cohort of pediatric IR specialists and launch services.

Phase 4: Outcome evaluation and capacity building — ensuring sustainability through continuous assessment, continuing medical education (CME), and international partnerships.

Experience from Ethiopia could guide pediatric IR development in other low-resource countries.

Conclusion and/or Teaching Points:

• Targeted investment in training, infrastructure, and partnerships can enable Ethiopia to deliver minimally invasive care to children.


• International collaborations are essential to program establishment and sustainability.


• Expanding pediatric IR is critical not only for Ethiopia but also for advancing equitable global access to lifesaving innovations.