Inauguration of Togo headquarters to strengthen fracture care and training

The AO Alliance officially inaugurated its Togo headquarters in Lomé on September 21, 2025, to strengthen fracture care and training across the country. The event was attended by surgeons, faculty members, and partners.

The new office aims to support local healthcare workers through training and improve access to quality fracture care for trauma patients. Leading the ceremony were Grégoire Anani Abalo, AO Alliance Togo Lead, Claude Martin Jr, Managing Director of the AO Alliance, and Jim Harrison, AO Alliance Africa Medical Advisor.

Speaking at the event, Martin highlighted the urgent need to address traumatic injuries in Africa. “Road traffic accidents remain a leading cause of death and disability in Africa,” he said, emphasizing the importance of trauma care infrastructure.

Delalom Kpegoh, AO Alliance faculty member and operating room nurse, underscored the organization’s commitment to standardizing patient care across the country. “Our objective is to ensure that when we are in front of a patient with a fracture, everyone — from Lomé to Cinkassé — is on the same page in managing the patient,” she said.

The AO Alliance has been active in Togo since 2017, focusing on capacity building and improving outcomes for patients suffering from musculoskeletal injuries.

As part of its continued support, the AO Alliance donated surgical equipment to the Centre Hospitalier Régional (CHR) of Sokodé and the CHU Kara on September 23. The donation will enable the Sokodé hospital to treat up to 80% of trauma patients locally, reducing the need for referrals to other facilities.

Foly-Yssouh Lanta, Director of CHR Sokodé, expressed gratitude for the contribution. “Today we’ve received top-quality equipment to treat patients following road traffic accidents and other trauma,” he said.

Yaovi Delan, Head of the Trauma Department at Sokodé, added that the new instruments would greatly enhance the hospital’s capacity. “We now have a complete surgical instrument set that will allow us to treat injuries from start to finish, from tending to open fractures to the application of external fixators,” he said.

The establishment of the AO Alliance Togo headquarters represents a major step toward improving access to safe, effective, and affordable surgical care throughout the country.