PATS aims to promote lung health in Africa, the continent most afflicted by morbidity and death from respiratory diseases, by promoting education, research, advocacy, optimal care and the development of African capacity to address respiratory challenges in the continent.
PATS is a registered Non-Profit Organisation (221-195-NPO).
We continuously partner with other regional and international respiratory organisations in global efforts to improve lung health.
PATS is overseen by an Executive Committee with members who are influential in the field of African thoracic medicine.
The Pan African Thoracic Society is a major professional organization representing Lung Health in Africa.
Obianuju Ozoh is a Professor of Medicine at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos and a Pulmonologist and Head of the Pulmonology Unit at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. Her research focuses on airway diseases, respiratory complications of systemic diseases including post TB, health effects of air pollution and sleep disordered breathing.
She is the President of the Pan African Thoracic Society, Co-Director of the PATS MECOR program and member of the Science Committee and Board of Directors of the Global Initiative on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (GOLD). She is the recipient of the World Lung Health award of the American Thoracic Society in 2023. Obianuju is committed to improving global lung health through research and clinical capacity building, mentorship and advocacy.
Professor Refiloe Masekela is a distinguished clinician-scientist and academic leader who currently serves as Dean and Head of the School of Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). She is the immediate Past President of PATS. She trained in medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand, completed paediatric training at the University of Pretoria, and sub-specialised in Paediatric Pulmonology in South Africa and at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. Her PhD on bronchiectasis in HIV-infected children marked the start of a career dedicated to advancing paediatric lung health in Africa.
An NIHR Global Health Research Professor, her research focuses on asthma epidemiology, equitable access to essential medicines, and strengthening pulmonary diagnostics in resource-limited settings. She serves as co-Chair of the Global Asthma Network, President of the South African Thoracic Society, and a member of GINA and the ERS Global Lung Initiative. As co-Director of PATS-MECOR, she remains deeply committed to research capacity building across Africa.
Muhwa, Jeremiah Chakaya, a graduate of the University of Nairobi, is a qualified medical doctor and a practicing internal medicine specialist and pulmonologist from Kenya. He is currently the executive director and technical lead at the research and public health unit, Respiratory Society of Kenya and a senior principal scientist at the Centre for Respiratory Disease Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute. He is a member of the board of the Global Initiative for Asthma and is the immediate past president of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (the Union). He has previously served as chair and vice chair of DOTS expansion working group and Stop TB Partnership Coordinating Board respectively, Chair of WHO’s Strategy and Technical Advisory Group for TB (STAG- TB) and chair of the Global Fund’s Technical Review Panel.
Dr. Hind Janah, MD, is a pulmonologist and allergist specialized in interventional pulmonology and rare lung diseases. She is the Founder and President of the Moroccan Association of Interventional Pulmonology (AMPI).
Dr. Janah is deeply committed to advancing interventional pulmonology practices in Morocco and was the driving force behind the first International Conference of Interventional Pulmonology in Morocco, held in 2024. She is currently among the first experts in interventional pulmonology in the country and is highly engaged in leading advanced interventional workshops, masterclasses, and international conferences.
She is a member of Assembly 11 (Clinical Techniques, Imaging and Endoscopy) of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and actively participates in the Lung Cancer Diagnosis Group, contributing to the development of national recommendations for lung cancer management in Morocco.
Dr. Janah is a member of the Executive Board of the World Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (WABIP), where she also serves as Chair of the Membership Committee. She is the official representative of the Moroccan Association of Interventional Pulmonology within the Espace Francophone de Pneumologie (EFP).
Her key qualifications include
Among her core objectives is to expand access to interventional pulmonology expertise across Africa and beyond, through high-level training, international collaboration, and capacity building.
Prof Adaeze Chikaodinaka Ayuk, MBBS, FMCPaed, MPhil, ATSF is a Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Nigeria and a leading paediatric pulmonologist and Associate Director at the Institute of Maternal & Child Health, UNN. With over two decades of clinical, research, and teaching experience, she has become a leading voice in advancing child lung health across Africa.
Her expertise spans paediatric pulmonology, infectious diseases, and global child health, with a strong focus on improving respiratory care in resource-limited settings. Prof Ayuk has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to international clinical guidelines, and co-authored textbooks and training manuals that shape paediatric respiratory practice across Africa. She has also served as Editor for the Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice and Associate Editor for the Journal of the Pan African Thoracic Society, ensuring high-quality dissemination of African respiratory research.
Prof Ayuk’s leadership extends beyond academia. She is Vice President of the Nigeria Thoracic Society, Former National Treasurer of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, and current Co-Lead level 2 of the PATS-MECOR Africa Research Group. She has played a pivotal role in mentoring young African researchers through the PATS MECOR programme, fostering capacity-building in respiratory medicine across the continent.
Her contributions have been recognized internationally with awards such as the Women in Leadership Award (PATS, 2025), the Educational Award (British Thoracic Society, 2022–2023), and the Buist Pathway to Leadership Award (American Thoracic Society, 2018).
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg Vaccines and Infectious Diseases research Unit, Johannesburg Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Johannesburg
Dr. Charl Verwey established and currently runs the paediatric pulmonology unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. He is the first elected Divisional Head of Paediatric Pulmonology at the University of the Witwatersrand. He serves on the executive council of the South African Thoracic Society and the National Asthma Education Programme, of which he is also a past president. He completed his PhD looking at the long-term pulmonary effects of respiratory syncytial virus lower respiratory tract infection in infancy, and continuous to perform research in this field through the Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit. Other research interests include pulmonary function testing in lower-middle income countries and HIV-associated lung disease. In his spare time he spends time with his wife, three children, two cats and one dog, and tries to get in a few gravel bike sessions.
Dr. Hussein Elkhayat is a prominent thoracic surgeon and a full professor at Assiut University’s Faculty of Medicine, a position he has held since 2024. He completed his medical degree and residency in cardiothoracic surgery at Assiut University, earning a master’s degree in general surgery in 2009. His early focus on minimally invasive surgery led to an MD thesis on Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) in benign diseases. To further develop his expertise, he pursued specialized training in VATS through a fellowship in Turkey, before returning to Egypt to establish a pioneering VATS program at his center.
After receiving his doctoral degree in cardiothoracic surgery in 2014, Dr. Elkhayat continued to advance minimally invasive thoracic surgery techniques. In 2021, he became a Fellow of the European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery (FEBCTS). Recognized for his expertise, he has become an international trainer for advanced VATS programs and founded the Assiut VATS Workshop, Egypt’s largest hands-on VATS training event.
Dr. Elkhayat has authored several publications in esteemed journals and contributes to the academic community as an editorial board member and reviewer for various international journals and conferences. He is also an instructor for the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and Care for Critically Ill Surgical Patient (CCrISP) courses.
Within the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS), he serves as an international board member of the thoracic domain and chair of the Chest Wall and Thoracic Trauma Task Force. Additionally, he is an active member of several prestigious surgical societies, including STS, ESTS, PATS, and ESCTS. He recently nominated to be the team leader for Africa team in ESTS cup taking place in Athens, Greece 2026. He was also nominated to be the cardiothoracic surgery representative in PATS Executive Committee for the 2026 – 2027 period.
His primary areas of interest include minimally invasive thoracic surgery, VATS decortication,chest wall, thoracic truama, lung cancer, and thymic surgery.
University of Cape Town Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital
Marco Zampoli completed his paediatric pulmonology training in South Africa where he currently holds the position of Associate Professor in Paediatrics at the University of Cape Town. Prof. Zampoli is head of the paediatric cystic fibrosis(CF)clinic at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. He completed his PhD on various aspects of CF epidemiology in South Africa and Africa. His other research and clinical interests include primary ciliary dyskinesia, pleural effusions, sleep medicine and long -term home ventilation
Pulmonology Division, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town.
Dr Diane Gray is a paediatric pulmonologist and clinical researcher in the Department of Paediatrics, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, University of Cape Town. Her research focuses on better understanding the determinants of chronic lung disease in African children and the development of appropriate preventive and management strategies. She has set up infant and preschool lung function testing in Africa, and contributed to international collaborations developing tools for preschool lung function testing. She is co-principal investigator of the Paediatric and Adult African Spirometry (PAAS) project and member of the PATS Spirometry working group. She currently holds a Wellcome Trust intermediate fellowship for research investigating the impact of early life exposures on chronic respiratory illness in African children.
Dr Patricia Alupo is an Internal Medicine physician, lecturer and Research Scientist based at the Makerere University Lung Institute in Uganda. She is currently pursuing her PHD in the university of Groningen- Netherlands. She provides specialist respiratory care at the lung Institute clinic, and is the head of the airways and allergy research working group at the Lung Institute. Her research focuses on obstructive airways diseases- particularly risk factors, diagnosis, health outcomes and management of chronic respiratory disease in low- and middle-income settings.
She gained international recognition as an emerging investigator awarded by the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in September 2023, and an international member of American Thoracic Society (ATS) award, which she received during the ATS 2025 international conference in San Francisco. Patricia also coordinates the implementation of the respiratory component of the WHO PEN-PLUS initiative in Uganda.
Dr. Samuel Otido, MBChB, MMed (Paediatrics), is a Paediatric Pulmonologist and faculty member at Aga Khan University Hospital, where he also serves as Program Director for the Paediatric Pulmonology Fellowship and Chair of the Departmental Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Committee. His clinical and research interests include paediatric asthma, complicated pneumonia, lung function testing, and nutrition in chronic respiratory disease. Dr. Otido is actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate training, mentorship, and research supervision. He is passionate about advancing specialist training, strengthening African-led research, and promoting equitable access to quality respiratory care for children across the continent. He is a member of the Respiratory Society of Kenya, Allergy Society of Kenya, European Respiratory Society, and American Thoracic Society.
Dr Ivan Schewitz is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon with a special interest in minimally invasive Thoracic Surgeon. He introduced Thorascopic Surgery into South Africa in 1991 and the Nuss procedure for Pectus Excavatum in 2008. He is the director of Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery wet-labs at the South African Thoracic Society Meetings since 2014.
He is also:
Honouree consultant, University of Pretoria.
Executive member of the South African Thoracic Society.
Executive and founder member of the Chest Wall International Group.
Involved in research in pectus deformities.
Joy Nkiru Eze is a Professor of Paediatrics/Paediatric Pulmonologist based in Enugu, Nigeria. She is a former Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC)/Director of Clinical services and Training in her institution. She is one of the pioneer graduates of the ATS/MECOR AFRICA 2024 Women Leadership Training Programme.
Prof. Joy Eze represented Nigeria in the 2023-2025 Executive of PATS. She currently serves in the International Health (IHC) and MECOR Steering Committees of ATS; and in the Editorial Board of the ATS Virtual International Paediatric Pulmonology Network (VIPPN).
Joy is a Faculty (Level 1 Co-Lead) in MECOR AFRICA, and a Faculty in the ATS Virtual International Paediatric Pulmonology Research Academy (VIPPRA) mentoring early career professionals in Research. She has several research awards to her credit. Her research areas include- air pollutant exposures and lung health, lung function measurements including spirometry, childhood respiratory disease including asthma and allergy, pneumonia, and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD).
Heather Zar is Professor and Chair of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Red Cross Childrens Hospital and Director of the SA-MRC Unit on Child & Adolescent Health University of Cape Town UCT.
A global expert in childhood respiratory diseases, her work has focused on pneumonia, tuberculosis, asthma and HIV-associated lung diseases. She’s established an African birth cohort study, the Drakenstein Child Health study to investigate the developmental trajectories and early life determinants of health. An A1 rated scientist by the SA National Research Foundation, she’s published over 560 peer reviewed publications and mentors or has mentored >50 PhD or masters students. She is past-President of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies, past-President of the Pan African Thoracic Society, and serves as an advisor to WHO, UNICEF and the Gates Foundation. She chairs the WHO Technical Advisory committee on new RSV preventive interventions. She received the World Lung Health award from the American Thoracic Society in 2014, the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Laureate for Africa and Arabia in 2018 and the SA-MRC Platinum medal for contributions over a lifetime in 2020.
Kevin Mortimer is a Consultant and Clinical Director of Respiratory Medicine at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Honorary Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Pan African Thoracic Society, Deputy Director of the Pan African Thoracic Society Methods in Epidemiologic, Clinical and Operations Research (MECOR) Programme, Chair of the British Thoracic Society Global Health Group and co-Chair of the Global Asthma Network. He is interested in developing solutions to the lung health needs of the world’s poor including asthma, COPD and post-TB lung disease.
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Nairobi, Kenya
I am a paediatrician, pulmonologist, global health researcher and senior lecturer based at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. My passion lies in improving respiratory health in Kenya, regionally and globally. Thank you for your vote and trust. I am very excited to serve in the role of an ordinary member of the PATS Exco. You can count on my commitment to work with the entire team, to promote respiratory health education, research and advocacy.
Department of Paediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria/University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria. email: joy.eze@unn.edu.ng
Joy Eze is a Paediatric Pulmonologist trained in the University of Cape Town/Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. She is Senior Lecturer/Consultant in the Department of Paediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria/University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria.
Joy is a member of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) Steering Committee for the control of Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) and contributed to the development of the current CAP treatment guideline. She is a member of the American Thoracic Society ‘International Health Committee (IHC) 2023-2024, and ‘PEDS’ International Relations Subcommittee, and has contributed positively to ATS. She served in the IHC ‘Dashboard Working Group’ from 2021-2022
Dr. Eze is a Faculty in the PATS MECOR. She mentors individuals and groups in research, and has co-authored several journal articles. Her research interests include- air pollutant exposures and lung health, spirometry, asthma, pneumonia, and primary ciliary dyskinesia.
Department of Child Health-School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital
Sandra is a Senior Lecturer and a Paediatric Pulmonologist. She holds an MPhil in Paediatric Pulmonology. She is also Fellow of the West African College of Physicians(Paed) and Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Her research work is focused on improving outcomes of lung health in early childhood specifically; asthma, tuberculosis, HIV and pneumonia. She has also worked in of air pollution and its impact on lung health, sickle cell lung disease and improving diagnosis of tuberculosis in children.
MBChB, MMED (Internal Medicine) (UoN), MSc Respiratory Medicine (UK), MRes Global Health (UK), PhD (UK), FCP(ECSACOP), ATSF (American Thoracic Society Fellow).
Dr Jacqueline Wanjiku Kagima works at the Kenyatta National Hospital in the Respiratory and Critical Care Unit. She has a PhD in Clinical Sciences, from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) in the United Kingdom (UK); her PhD work used mixed methods to evaluate ultrasound diagnostics in acute lung diseases and also assessed the facilitators and barriers to point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) utility within low and middle income settings (LMICs). She has a Master’s in Respiratory medicine from University of South Wales (UK) and a Masters in Global Health Research from Lancaster University (UK). She is a PATS MECOR graduate and currently a faculty in PATS MECOR level III.
Dr. J.W. Kagima is a Fellow of the East, Central and Southern Africa College of Physicians (ECSACOP), Fellow of the American Thoracic Society (ATSF) and a member of several other professional bodies. She has received several awards and honors including the ATS MECOR Graduate Scholarship Award, ATS International Trainee Scholarship over the years and the Job Bwayo Award for Science in Lung Health, an award given to a person who contributed immensely to the advance of scientific knowledge in lung health in Kenya. She is the 2023 recipient of the BTS-PATS Travel Fellowship.
She is the current secretary of the Respiratory Society of Kenya (ReSOK), where she also serves as the head of the training and research committee in ReSOK. She is committed to improving lung health in Africa through research, advocacy, collaborations and mentorship
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