The Canadian Network for International Surgery (CNIS) is a non-profit organization that provides surgical and obstetrical training, enabling African practitioners to prevent suffering and save millions of lives each year. Founded in 1995, CNIS promotes the delivery of essential surgical care to the underprivileged. Our unique Canadian teaching initiative has evolved into the world’s largest organization of international surgery.
CNIS sends volunteer Canadian surgeons and obstetricians to share their knowledge with colleagues in Africa, who teach these same surgical and obstetrics skills to African medical clinicians and trainees. This train-the-trainer approach provides cost-effective hands-on techniques to maximize impact: to date, more than 13,000 African heath care practitioners have been taught life-saving procedures in eight African countries.
The focus of CNIS is injury prevention: 1 in 13 women in Africa die a maternal death and injury kills more Africans than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Our programs empower medical practitioners in developing countries to provide care and to teach others the same skills through surgical, obstetrics, trauma, first aid and conflict resolution courses.
CNIS believes in sharing knowledge, expertise and experience to promote lasting and sustainable improvements in health and safety in the developing world. Our organization gives new meaning to the expression, ‘Give someone a fish, they eat for a day. Teach someone how to fish, they feed themselves forever.’