Sundberg Health and Capacity Development Initiatives

17/06/2026

Are you a nurse with an interest in neurology or neurosurgical care?

The Swedish African Neurological Collaboration (SANC) has established a Neuro Nursing Network that brings together nurses from Sweden, Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. Through this network, we promote professional exchange, continuing education, and mutual learning among nurses working in neurological and neurosurgical care.

We organize free monthly online educational sessions, providing a platform for participants to share experiences, discuss best practices, and strengthen neurological nursing competencies across countries.

Today, Wednesday, June 17, we held our latest session. We were honored to have Madde, an experienced Swedish neuroscience nurse, who delivered an informative lecture on prevention and management of postoperative neurosurgical infections.

The presentation covered important aspects of infection prevention throughout the patient’s surgical journey, including:

* Preoperative measures: patient preparation, skin antisepsis, optimization of comorbidities, and prophylactic antibiotic strategies.
* Perioperative measures: maintaining aseptic technique, operating room practices, and reducing contamination risks during surgery.
* Postoperative care: wound assessment, early recognition of surgical site infections, monitoring for meningitis and other intracranial infections, and evidence-based nursing interventions to improve patient outcomes.

These sessions continue to strengthen collaboration between African and Swedish nurses while promoting safe, high-quality neurological and neurosurgical care.

If you are a nurse interested in neurology, neuroscience, or neurosurgical nursing, you are welcome to join our growing network and learn together with colleagues across Africa and Sweden.

16/06/2026

15/06/2026

This is not a typical complication following a C-section. The combination of inability to walk, urinary retention requiring catheterization, and loss of bowel control or difficulty passing stool suggests possible injury to or compression of the lower spinal cord or cauda equina nerves.

Potential causes include cauda equina syndrome, spinal epidural hematoma (bleeding around the spinal cord), infection, or other nerve injuries.

She should be evaluated by a neurologist or neurosurgeon, and an MRI of the spine should be performed if available.

The nerves that control movement of the legs, bladder function, and bowel function arise from the lower spinal cord and cauda equina. Injury to these nerves can result in weakness or paralysis of the legs, urinary retention requiring catheterization, bowel dysfunction, and numbness around the buttocks, ge***al area, or inner thighs.

Even after two months, further evaluation remains important because some underlying causes may still be treatable. In addition, rehabilitation and physiotherapy may help improve functional recovery. Appropriate bladder and bowel management are essential to prevent infections and other complications.

One important question is whether or not she lost the ability to walk immediately after the C-section, or whether the weakness developed gradually over the following hours or days. The timing of symptom onset may provide important clues, although it cannot confirm the diagnosis.

If she lost the ability to walk immediately or within hours after the spinal anesthesia or C-section, possible causes could include spinal epidural hematoma (bleeding around the spinal cord), cauda equina syndrome due to nerve compression, or, rarely, direct nerve or spinal cord injury related to the spinal procedure.

If the weakness developed gradually over hours to days, possible causes include infection (spinal epidural abscess), inflammation affecting the spinal cord or nerves, obstetric nerve injury related to labor or positioning during surgery, or another neurological condition.

However, regardless of whether the symptoms began immediately or developed later, the combination of inability to walk, urinary retention requiring catheterization, and bowel dysfunction suggests involvement of the lower spinal cord or cauda equina nerves.

The exact cause cannot be determined without a clinical examination and MRI imaging of the spine.

27/05/2026

Our staff, in 2014, did a short piece on the Untold story of the Ebola Virus Disease, (EVD).

23/05/2026

"NO EBOLA IN LIBERIA" Government Declares

The government of Liberia has dismissed unverified information suggesting that there are suspected cases of Ebola in the Country.

The disclaimer comes barely a few days following disinformation circulating social media about an outbreak of the"Rare Ebola Strain" in Congo and Uganda.

"The Ministry of Health, the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), and the John F. Kennedy Medical Center (JFKMC) wish to clarify that, contrary to misinformation currently circulating on social media, LIBERIA CURRENTLY HAS NO SUSPECTED, PROBABLE, OR CONFIRMED CASE OF EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE (EVD)."
A news release jointly signed by MoH, NPHIL and JFKMC, encourages the public to remain calm and refrain from spreading misleading information and unverified reports intended to create unnecessary panic.

The release reminded the public that the official institutions responsible for reporting and communicating disease outbreaks in Liberia are the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL).

MoH, and partners continue to maintain surveillance and preparedness measures, including monitoring at health facilities and border points.

The communication climaxed by encouraging the public to practice regular handwashing, avoid direct contact with bodily fluids of sick individuals, promptly report suspected illnesses, and rely on official updates from the Ministry of Health, NPHIL, and partners.

23/05/2026

Ministry of Health Turns Over to LNP for Investigation, the alleged Disseminator of Disinformation Regarding the Presence of EBOLA in Liberia

Source: Ministry of Health, RL

23/05/2026

"NO EBOLA in LIBERIA" - Government Clarifies rumors of Suspected EBOLA VIRUS 🦠 DISEASE in Liberia.
Read Below.

12/05/2026