As a neurologist for more than 25 years and the founder of GlobalNeuroCare.org, Dr. James C Johnston focuses on international health issues related to neurology. Dr. James C Johnston established the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Global NeuroCare to improve neurological care within the most impoverished regions of the world.
This organization focuses mainly on sub-Saharan Africa and particularly on Ethiopia. Global NeuroCare is accredited by the World Health Organization, and affiliated with the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa. Dr. Johnston and his team work closely with the United Nations since the organization is in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council, allowing engagement in UN intergovernmental processes and meetings. Dr. Johnston has presented and published a number of statement with the UN on how to improve healthcare in Africa.
One quarter of the global disease burden is located within the African region, but only 3 percent of the world’s health care professionals care for these people in need. Dr. Johnston serves as an Honorary Professor of Neurology at Addis Ababa University, where the Neurology Residency Training Program has graduated 32 board certified neurologists since inception almost twelve years ago. There are 21 more physicians in the three year training program which continues to expand. These neurologists have changed the landscape of neurology in the Horn of Africa, treating tens of thousands of patients a year and, more importantly, teaching the general physicians how to care for common neurological problems such as epilepsy, stroke and related conditions. This represents an essential method of capacity building in a severely resource limited region which is unlikely to ever have the number of neurologists needed to care for the population. In a striking example of South-South cooperation, the Ethiopian neurologists are now training physicians from other African countries, so those physicians may return to their countries and provide better patient care.
This educational method - training local physicians in their local communities to treat local conditions within the confines of their limited available resources - represents the most effective means of improving healthcare access.
Global NeuroCare uses a focused resource approach to make an impact on the area it serves and routes donations to those in need. The medical staff members work as volunteers, and no donations are used for salaries, travel or administrative expenses - all donations go to those in need.
