Our Leadership
ECSAPACH is led by a Council of Fellows, with an Executive Committee overseeing the organization’s daily operations. The leadership structure includes key positions such as President, Vice President, Secretary-General, Treasurer, and committee chairs, all working collaboratively to achieve the college’s mission of advancing Paediatric healthcare in the region.
Dr John Maganga Tole
MBChB, MMed
The President
Dr John Maganga Tole, a graduate of The University of Nairobi, is a highly accomplished paediatrician and health systems consultant with over 30 years of experience. He is the Founding President of ECSAPACH and is responsible for overseeing the organization’s affairs and establishing its governance and administration structures.
Dr. Tole has a special interest in paediatric asthma care, adolescent health, patient safety, improving health systems, and medical education. He has held leadership positions at Aga Khan University Hospital.
He was awarded the National Honour: Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya (OGW) for his distinguished service to the nation.
Prof Rose Kambarami
The Vice President
Prof Rose Kambarami is a paediatrician and an epidemiologist by training. She received her medical degrees from the University of Zimbabwe, the College of Medicine of South Africa, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of the UK, and the University of Newcastle in Australia. She is an experienced, associate professor of paediatrics and child health, trainer, grant recipient, project director and researcher with over 40 years of relevant, professional work experience. She has presented and published in reviewed journals mainly covering several topics on maternal, perinatal, newborn and child health.
Rose is currently on post-retirement employment contracts with the University of Zimbabwe, serves on the WHO Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group, is a member of the national Ministry of Health validation committee for the elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B, a member of the Zim-TTECH Board of Trustees and the Bantwana Zimbabwe Board of Trustees and the Paediatric Association of Zimbabwe Trust. She was appointed a serving member of the COVID 19 National Technical Advisory Group of Experts during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Dr Furaha Prosper Kyesi
The Secretary General
Dr Furaha Prosper Kyesi is a Tanzanian paediatrician and public health specialist with extensive experience in child survival interventions, particularly in immunization and vaccine development.
She has worked with the Ministry of Health in Tanzania and served on various technical committees related to immunization.
Dr Kyesi holds degrees in Medicine, Paediatrics and Child Health, and Public Health. She is currently pursuing a fellowship in Haematology-Oncology, with a research interest in haematological cancers.
Dr Deogratius Munube
MBChB, MMed, Cert. PHO
Dr Deogratias is a Consultant Paediatrician and Honorary Lecturer in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Mulago Hospital/ Makerere University Kampala.
He is the immediate past President of the Uganda Paediatric Association (UPA) and was a member of the International Paediatric Association Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) on Immunization. He is the Assistant Clinical Head of the Department of Paediatrics, Mulago National Referral Hospital. His sub-speciality training is in Paediatric Haematology Oncology and is the head of the Paediatric Oncology Unit of Mulago Hospital, Kampala.
Recently he has been appointed to the Uganda NITAG and serves as the Chairperson of the Sickle Cell working group of the International Paediatric Association. In ECSAPACH he is the founding treasurer and member of the Finance and General Purpose Committee.
Dr Dipesalema Joel
MBChB, BAO, B Med Sc, MRCPI
Dr Dipesalema Joel is the Academic Head of Paediatric and Adolescent Health at the University of Botswana and a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist.
He holds multiple medical degrees from University College Cork, Ireland, and is a Member of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. Dr. Joel completed his paediatric endocrinology fellowship at the Paediatric Endocrinology Training Centre for Africa in Nairobi with distinction.
His research focuses on growth disorders, diabetes, puberty, inborn errors of metabolism, HIV, and tuberculosis, and he has authored over 80 scientific publications. Recognized with several prestigious awards, he has also held leadership roles in professional organizations such as the African Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology and the Diabetes Association of Botswana
Prof Amha Mekasha
Prof Amha Mekasha graduated from Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Medicine as a general practitioner in 1980. He completed paediatric residency programme in 1986 and joined the newly established Jimma Institute of Health Sciences (Jimma University) to establish the clinical programme as an assistant professor.
He served Jimma Institute of Health Sciences in various positions including as head of medical school, head of research and publication office and vice head of the Institute for Academic Affairs until 1999. Since 1999 he is working as a professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at Addis Ababa University.
In 1997/98 he graduate with a Masters degree in medical education from Cardiff University, UK. He launched a Masters degree programme in health sciences education at Addis Ababa University in 2015.
He has produced over 85 publications in paediatrics and medical education. He is the founder of the Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences and the Ethiopian Journal of Paediatrics and Child health and he is editorial Board member of the Pan African Journal of Medicine, Ethiopian Journal of Health development and advisor of the Ethiopian journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Professor Amha has participated actively in various committees nationally and internationally. Including member of the standing Committee of the International Paediatric Association, Vice president of the African Paediatric Infectious Diseases Association, board member of World Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Union of African Paediatric Association (UNAPSA) .
Dr Thomas Ngwiri
MBChB, MMed
Dr Thomas Ngwiri is Head of Clinical Services at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital since 2010. He is also Director of the Paediatric endocrinology training centre for Africa (PETCA) – Nairobi which trains paediatricians from sub-Saharan Africa in the field of diabetes and other endocrine disorders.
He is the Program Lead for the Kenya Paediatric Fellowship Program (KPFP) at Kenya Paediatric Association (KPA). He is a member of the Kenya Paediatric Association and served as National Chair of the association from 2016 – 2020. He is a founder board member of the Paediatric Endocrinology Society of Kenya.
He has previously served on the executive committee of the Africa society for Paediatric and Adolescent endocrinology (ASPAE). Thomas Ngwiri is a founding fellow of the ECSA College of Paediatrics and Child health.
Tom obtained his undergraduate medical training from the University of Nairobi in Kenya in 1996. He completed his graduate studies in Paediatrics and Child Health from the same university in 2004. He was selected for the ESPE fellowship training award in 2006. He completed his fellowship in Paediatric Endocrinology at Meyer Children’s Hospital, RAMBAM in Haifa, Israel under the late Ze’ev Hochberg, in 2009.
Thomas Ngwiri has published work on diabetes mellitus in children and on developing education programs in paediatric endocrinology in Africa.
Powell Ochieng
BSc, PGDE, MA
Mr. Powell Ochieng is an educationalist and a leadership and management practitioner with over 15 years of experience, responsible for strategic planning, academic governance, policies and processes within the context of an international university.
He has a demonstrated track record of oversight of student registry functions as well as successful establishment and operationalisation of academic and administrative infrastructure for
postgraduate medical education programmes.
He has served in many capacities including in the joint project between the Government of Kenya’s Ministry of Education and the Japan International Corporation as a trainer of trainers in the Strengthening of Mathematics and Science Education in Secondary Schools; a national examiner with the Kenya National Examination Council; a consultant with the United States Peace Corps. During his tenure at Aga Khan University, he worked through higher education systems and government/professional regulatory authorities in the countries of East Africa and oversaw the student experience and registry and ensured the achievement of the strategic and operational objectives of the university.
As CEO, Powell is responsible for the overall strategy, governance, leadership and management of the ECSAPACH as it develops in pursuit of its strategic aims, working closely with the College Council, Fellows, Members, and other stakeholders to ensure the best opportunities and possible outcomes in pursuit of higher goals for paediatrics and child health education and training of specialists and sub-specialists.