PENTAfrica’s Manifesto
Our Vision
- To develop local services for ear, nose, and throat conditions in children across the African continent. In doing so, become advocates that promote healthy child and adolescent health as it relates to childhood growth and development.
- Create a network of African Paediatric otolaryngologists to obtain advice, grow their services, collectively educate other specialists and conduct research relevant to our population, and our health needs.
Mission Statement
- To establish sustainable access of otolaryngological (ENT) services to African children.
- To identify and assist ENT specialists with complex otolaryngologic disorders in children, or common otolaryngologic disorders in complex children with co-morbidities.
- Create initiatives that establish sustainable otolaryngology best practices, driven by evidence-based decision-making that is appropriate for local practise.
- To establish a lasting culture for homegrown research and join international networks on collaborative projects that establish high quality research centres in African academic hubs that are led by paediatric subspecialists.
- To advocate for treatment of ENT-related conditions that burden African children.
The society’s mission is to:
Advance knowledge-sharing on paediatric ENT conditions prevalent in Africa.
Develop specialized training programs for ENT surgeons, paediatricians, and allied health professionals.
Foster collaboration with leading international paediatric ENT societies.
Where we began
Dr. Clemence Chidziva (University of Zimbabwe), Dr. Peter J. Koltai (Stanford University School of Medicine), and Professor Christopher Prescott (University of Cape Town & Red Cross Children’s Hospital) pioneered the establishment of a Paediatric ENT Service at Harare Children’s Hospital in Zimbabwe in 2017. United by a shared vision, they later turned their focus toward creating a Pan-African Paediatric ENT Society (PENTAFRICA).
In May 2018, the Zimbabwe Society of Otolaryngologists hosted the inaugural PENTAFRICA Conference, featuring an airway workshop and symposium. The event drew ENT surgeons, paediatricians, audiologists, speech therapists, and other healthcare professionals from across Africa and beyond.
We also hosted the PENTAfrica Summit in Moshi, Tanzania, in 2024, which attracted more than 100 attendees from across Africa and beyond. You can read more about the PENTAfrica Summit here.
Join our society and be part of advancing otolaryngology in Africa
