A Japanese orthopedic surgeon is dedicating the latter part of his career to overcoming a doctor shortage in Africa, where medical practitioners are badly needed to treat a surge in traffic accident injuries in the wake of rapid economic development.

Hisatoshi Baba, 61, a doctor and professor at the University of Fukui's department of medical sciences, said the need for doctors on the continent is "urgent."

"It is an urgent task to train doctors to reduce the number of fatalities and patients who suffer from the aftereffects of road and other accidents," Baba said during a recent interview.