Training Ethiopia’s First Spine Surgeons

“The goal is not just to be a physician. It’s to be a
Christ-like physician.” —Dr. Yohannis Nigusu 

When Dr. Yohannis Nigusu was a boy, he watched his mother grow seriously ill. In rural Ethiopia, there weren’t many doctors to call on for help. Luckily, a neighbor who was a nurse stepped in and cared for his mom. “That,” Dr. Yohannis says, “is when I first thought about becoming a doctor.”

Years later, another hardship deepened that calling: His older brother developed a spine condition that affected his posture. Dr. Yohannis saw what a life-changing difference a pediatric orthopedic spine surgeon could make. He knew what he wanted to become, but Ethiopia, a nation of more than 120 million people, had no program for training spine surgeons.

After medical school, he did his residency with support from CURE International and the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS) at Soddo Christian Hospital in southern Ethiopia.

“I did my pediatrics rotation at CURE Ethiopia, where I got experience in every phase of care, from planning and scheduling surgeries to performing procedures.”

Just as important was the ministry training he received. “The goal is not just to be a physician. It’s to be a Christ-like physician,” he shares. “We have the opportunity to pray with and for patients, to give them hope, and to boldly share that they are loved by God.”

By the time Dr. Yohannis was ready for fellowship training, CURE Ethiopia had launched the country’s first pediatric spine surgery program as part of a long-term strategy to develop national specialists who can lead this work into the future. In January 2025, he began his fellowship there.

The need is immense. For the estimated 50,000 Ethiopian children with severe scoliosis, surgery is the only path to a safer, healthier future. With support from partners like African Mission Healthcare and the Tim Tebow Foundation, CURE Ethiopia is building long-term capacity—from surgical equipment to training to infrastructure—to one day complete more than 250 spine surgeries every year.

In FY25, Dr. Yohannis and the team at CURE Ethiopia performed 138 complex spine surgeries, changing lives of children in need and giving them a chance to live free from life-limiting scoliosis. Generous donors like you made it possible.