[Report of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) international course and Cameroon Neurosurgery Society Congress (CNS) Yaoundé (Cameroon), 1st--4th October 2007].

Neurosurgery remains a very marginal activity in sub-Saharan Africa. In this part of the world which counts nearly 40 countries, some do not have a single neurosurgeon, some have one to five, the number of ten neurosurgeons per country remaining an exception! In its concern of popularizing and of developing neurosurgery worldwide, the WFNS organized an international course in Africa, October 2007 2nd-3rd in Yaoundé (Cameroon). The Cameroon Neurosurgery Society (CNS) took this opportunity to organize its very first congress in the presence of the WFNS delegation from October 1st to 4th, 2007. The joint meeting with the WFNS was baptized the "African Week of Neurosurgery". This special event was a first in sub-Saharan Africa. The delegation of the WFNS, led by Professor J. Brotchi (Belgium) President of the WFNS, was made up of Professors A. Sousa (Brazil), Mr. Choux (France), N. Tribolet (Swiss), M. Arraez (Spain), A. Bricolo (Italy), A. Kamlichi (Morocco), G. Dechambenoit (France), K. Kalangu (Zimbabwe). Twenty three neurosurgeons coming from nine African countries (Cameroon, Nigeria, Gabon, Congo, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Guinea) took an active part in work. The scientific success of this event led to the creation of the "Association of Neurological Surgeons of Africa (ANSA)" which will be the WFNS-Africa interface in order to insure the development of neurosurgery in Africa.