“New Era”—Kenyan Hospital Replaces Animals in Surgical Training Thanks to Funding From U.S. Doctors Group

WASHINGTON, D.C., and KIJABE, Kenya—A brief encounter at a surgery conference in 2025 led to a partnership that is now transforming how doctors train in rural Kenya. Staff from the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine were at the American College of Surgeons meeting in Chicago to promote their new Medical Simulation Fund, which provides financial support to medical centers looking to replace live animals with human-based technology. A year later, synthetic bones, skin, limbs, and much more—54 devices in total—were on their way from the U.S. to Kijabe Hospital.

The new devices have replaced freshly killed goats and chickens in the hospital’s courses for surgeons and emergency medicine doctors. In addition, a faculty member at the hospital had recently requested live rabbits for teaching microsurgery—a specialized technique that uses operating microscopes to repair or reconnect things like blood vessels and nerves. Because of the Physicians Committee’s grant, tiny synthetic blood vessels are now being used instead of rabbits. In total, the nonprofit purchased more than $35,000 worth of materials.

This was the first international award under the Physicians Committee’s Medical Simulation Fund, which launched in January 2025. The program has also backed proof-of-concept labs for a university transplant surgery program and a major medical device company. The organization is actively encouraging medical centers and companies to apply for funding through its website at www.pcrm.org/simfund.

“We were honored to help Kijabe Hospital make this change and improve patient care,” said Christine Kauffman, manager of medical education programs at the Physicians Committee. “This project demonstrates how advanced simulation technology can provide effective training while eliminating the use of animals in surgical education. We look forward to supporting more institutions as they make similar transitions.”

To speak with Ms. Kauffman or to see photos of the equipment, please contact Reina Pohl at 202-527-7326 or rpohl [at] pcrm.org (rpohl[at]pcrm[dot]org).