Africa bears a quarter of the global disease burden yet has only 2% of the doctors in the world. To provide essential health services, the World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 2.5 healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, and midwives) per 1,000 people. Tanzania has only one doctor for every 20,000 patients. The shortage is amplified in rural areas, which are home to 73% of the population yet served by only 20% of the physicians. Clearly, there is a critical need to train and retain more doctors in Tanzania, including surgical specialists.

Why ENT?

ENT disorders are among the most common medical problems, afflicting patients in all age groups, from neonates to the elderly. ENT doctors treat disorders of breathing, swallowing, hearing, balance, the sinuses. They also manage head and neck tumors, congenital anomalies, thyroid disease, and traumatic injuries.  

In 2004, there were only 5 ENT specialists in all of Tanzania, a country of forty million people. In comparison, there is one otolaryngologist per 30,000 people in the USA. A group of international otolaryngologists committed themselves to establishing a residency program, to train ENT physicians in Tanzania to serve East Africa.

When Africans travel to more developed countries for medical training, they tend to stay abroad, rather than return to the home country. It is frustrating for a physician to possess the skills and knowledge required to provide state of the art care in the absence of adequate resources. ATENTA addresses the need for quality otolaryngology care in East Africa by expanding on a successful model of training ENT specialists in Africa using international volunteer faculty, providing critical equipment, and improving infrastructure. Our long-term goal is to establish a sustainable Regional Center of Excellence in Otolaryngology, with programs in education, research, and excellent, compassionate clinical care.