Involvement with the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration (T.A.A.A.C.) since 2014
In line with the University of Toronto’s commitment to global citizenship and international engagement, the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration (T.A.A.A.C.) is a non-profit partnership supported by the leadership of Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa University and the University of Toronto. This collaboration focuses on developing and strengthening Addis Ababa University’s graduate medical and academic programs to train specialist professionals in Ethiopia, thereby helping to build an accessible and sustainable health system in the country to solve the problems faced by people in Ethiopia (5).
The Faculty of Dentistry’s involvement with the T.A.A.A.C. began after Dr. Aaron Fenton, a professor from the faculty, visited Addis Ababa University in 2011. A follow-up visit in 2014 by Dr. Fenton and Dean Daniel Haas reinforced Dentistry’s dedication to the T.A.A.A.C., leading to the establishment of a partnership between the U of T Faculty of Dentistry and Addis Ababa University’s School of Dentistry, one of two public dental education institutions in Ethiopia. This collaboration was officially launched in the fall of 2015. It has since evolved into a comprehensive knowledge exchange program (6, 7).
In 2015, at a special Faculty of Dentistry lecture, Dr. Wondwossen Fantaye, the director of dentistry at Addis Ababa University’s College of Health Sciences, discussed the crucial oral health problems faced by the people in his country, such as gum disease, dental caries, and other diseases, ranging from those related to naturally hyper-fluoridated water to Noma. With only 11 postgraduate dental specialists (most of whom were nearing retirement) and roughly 250 dentists for over 90 million people, there was an urgent need to train the next generation of oral health care providers (7). The solution to this challenge was to empower a new team of dental practitioners in Ethiopia through comprehensive education. This would help build sustainable dental health infrastructure, enabling them to become self-reliant. As Dean Haas pointed out in an interview: “We’ll work with the school to build capacity. But the vision is that in a few years, they won’t need us anymore” (7). Thus, the collaboration strategy emphasizes the transfer of expertise over merely providing services. The goal of the collaboration is to provide advanced training at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including a recently implemented specialty training program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Faculty members and peer mentors from Toronto continue to make yearly trips to Ethiopia. The program includes hands-on training, lectures, and seminars in various dental specialties such as Periodontology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, and Preventive and Restorative Dentistry (5).
In December 2015, Dentistry professors Jim Lai and Ernest Lam went on the first of two month-long teaching rotations. In May 2016, a second group included Dr. Joel Rosenbloom, Dr. Herenia Lawrence and two students. With the help from U of T, the Addis Ababa University School of Dentistry graduated its first class in 2016 (6). In 2019, a mixed team of faculty initiated the first training trip for 12 residents enrolled in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Addis Ababa University, marking a significant milestone in the development of postgraduate specialty training programs at the Ethiopian school (5). Even during the COVID pandemic, virtual lectures were delivered to complement on-site education (5). In addition, support from the University of Toronto has extended beyond the provision of teaching rotations. To alleviate the major resources gap between the dental schools in Canada and Ethiopia, critical equipment such as high-speed drills, amalgam, radiography film, plastic teeth for restorative practice, and sundry other dental supplies were also donated to the Ethiopian school (6). The University of Toronto Dentistry Library also donated textbooks via Dr. Aaron Fenton. At one time, Dr. Fenton brought two suitcases of books with him to Ethiopia.
The teaching teams are guided in their lecture and educational priorities by conversations with the Addis Ababa University dean and student leaders about which disciplines are most needed to fill the educational gaps. This takes place both prior to the trip and at the outset of each week. This approach enables U of T to complement the teaching at the school rather than repeat subjects already covered in their curricula.
On a recent teaching trip in the fall of 2024, one faculty member and two students gave approximately 30 lectures during the two-week period and supervised students in the emergency/triage clinic and endodontic/restorative clinic. Plans are underway for the next trip (fall 2025) where a focus will be on Oral Pathology, inviting Professor Marco Magalhaes, who is a specialist in this subject, along with two senior dental students and Dr. Rosenbloom as team lead. Another goal of the partnership is to support the dental school as they develop the first specialty training course in Periodontology in the country.
Up until now, nine Professors and twelve students, all from fourth year classes from U of T Faculty of Dentistry, have been to the dental school of Ethiopia. The program has significantly contributed to the development of Ethiopia’s first specialty training program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, has made a substantial impact on dental education and has improved the oral health system in Ethiopia (7). As the program continues to evolve, it serves as a shining example of how collaborative efforts can improve healthcare outcomes and enrich the educational experiences of all involved (8).
Acknowledgements:
Many thanks to Dr. Joel Rosenbloom for his input on this section.