COSECSA Council

President

Prof. Laston Chikoya BSc, MBChB, MMed Surgery,MD Neurosurgery, FCS, IFAANS

Prof. Laston Chikoya is a distinguished neurosurgeon and academic leader with over 15 years of senior-level neurosurgical practice and a decade of experience in university hospital management. He has held key positions, including Deputy Director and Head of Clinical Care at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and CEO of Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Currently, he serves as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) at Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, and Consultant, Lecturer, and Head of Neurosurgery at UTH.Prof. Chikoya has been actively involved with COSECSA since 2007, serving as Country Representative, Chair of the Education, Scientific, and Research Committee, and Vice President. He is now the President of COSECSA and the inaugural Chairperson of its Institutional Review Board. Additionally, he is the immediate past Panel Head for Neurosurgery training across 14 countries in the ECSA region and a past president of the Surgical Society of Zambia. He also serves on the Editorial Board of the East and Central Africa Journal of Surgery.

Immediate Past President

Dr. Fualal Jane Odubu MbChB, M.MED[surg], FCS [ECSA], Dip. HLM

Dr. Jane Fualal Odubu is a Senior Consultant Surgeon and Head of the Breast and Endocrine Unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda, with 26 years of experience and over 20,000 surgeries. She is the first female president-elect of COSECSA, a distinguished member of the Foundation Fellowship, and Patron of Women in Surgery Africa (WiSA), where she champions gender equity in surgical training.Dr. Fualal has made significant contributions to health policy, academic discourse, and surgical education, including serving as an examiner for COSECSA, WACS, and CMSA. She has held leadership roles such as COSECSA Treasurer ,Vice President and most recently President , playing a key part in strategic planning and regional collaborations. Recognized with numerous awards, including Uganda’s Independence Medal, she remains dedicated to expanding COSECSA’s influence, strengthening its financial stability, and mentoring the next generation of surgeons.

Vice President

Prof. Wakisa Mulwafu MD, PhD, ENT Surgeon.

Dr. Wakisa Mulwafu is a pioneering ENT specialist who completed his residency training at the University of Cape Town before returning to Blantyre, Malawi, in 2007. For several years, he was the sole ENT specialist in the country, during which he systematically established ENT services in Malawi. He authored the national policy for ENT services, introduced clinical officer training in otolaryngology, and secured funding to build an ENT clinic in Blantyre.Dr. Akisa earned a PhD from Bergen University in Norway, with his thesis focusing on integrating ear and hearing care into Malawi’s primary health system through task-sharing. He was instrumental in having ENT specialisation included in COSECSA, enabling smaller units across the region to offer specialist training. A prolific academic, he has 48 publications listed on PubMed, including contributions to the East and Central African Journal of Surgery. Currently, Dr. Akisa serves as the Vice President of COSECSA and previously chaired its Finance and General Purpose Committee.

Registrar

Prof Eric Borgstein

Prof. Eric Borgstein is a pediatric surgeon, educator, and leader. For over 20 years, he has worked in Malawi increasing local surgical capacity through education and training. He is currently Professor of Surgery at the University of Malawi College of Medicine and consultant Pediatric surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital where he was instrumental in setting up its current surgical postgraduate training program. Prof. Borgstein is heavily involved in medical student, clinical officer, and intern and surgical resident training. He was previously the Chair of Examinations and Credientials Committee on the COSECSA and directs one of the few training programs in Pediatric surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa. Prof. Borgstein is currently working on the COST-Africa project which is an EU FP7 research grant studying surgical training of nonphysician clinicians in Malawi and Zambia.

Secretary General

Prof Abebe Bekele MD, FCS (ECSA), FACS, MAMSE

Prof. Abebe Bekele is the Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Rwanda and a Professor of Surgery specializing in General and Thoracic Surgery. He has held key leadership roles, including CEO of Black Lion Teaching Hospital and Dean of Addis Ababa University’s School of Medicine. Prof. Abebe is the Secretary General of COSECSA, former Chair of the Examinations and Credentials Committee, and Editor-in-Chief of the East and Central Africa Journal of Surgery.A distinguished surgical educator with over 22 years of experience, he is a Fellow of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Master Surgical Educators of the American College of Surgeons. Prof. Abebe has published over 100 articles and book chapters and serves on advisory councils for global surgery, health equity, and education. He is passionate about advancing equitable surgical care, gender equity, and innovative medical education.

Assistant Secretary General

Dr. Olivia Kituuka Kisubi

Dr. Olivia Kituuka Kisubi is a general surgeon and lecturer at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda, where she leads the Upper GI Unit. She specializes in gastroenterological and hepatopancreaticobiliary diseases, minimal access surgery, and diagnostic and interventional endoscopy.A Fellow of COSECSA and the Assistant Secretary General of the College, Dr. Kituuka is a member of the World Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons and Patron of the Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons of Uganda (ALASU). She has been instrumental in establishing the surgical skills lab at Makerere University and advancing laparoscopic surgery in Uganda. Currently pursuing a PhD in Bioethics, her research focuses on informed consent processes in emergency surgery.

Treasurer

Dr Kitugi Samwel Nungu MD. Dip Trop Medicine – Cuba, MMed. Phd Othop. Dip Epid and Biostat.- Sweden. FCS (ECSA)

Dr. Kitugi Samwel Nungu is a skilled general surgeon with a special focus on rural and underserved populations. He has contributed significantly to surgical training and mentorship in the East, Central, and Southern Africa region. An active Fellow of COSECSA, Dr. Nungu currently serves as the Treasurer of the College, playing a pivotal role in advancing surgical care and strengthening healthcare systems through education and capacity-building

Examinations and Credentials Committee - Chair

Dr Hanna Getachew MD, FCS (ECSA)

Dr. Hanna Getachew is an experienced General and Pediatric Surgeon with 18 years of practice. She completed her medical studies at Gonder University Hospital, Ethiopia, and her residency at Addis Ababa University, with additional fellowships in Canada, Norway, and India. A pioneer among female surgeons in Ethiopia, she founded the Association of Women in Surgery of Ethiopia (W.I.S.E) and served as an Associate Professor at Addis Ababa University, publishing over 15 research articles on pediatric surgery. Dr. Hanna specializes in pediatric head and neck, thoracic, colorectal, urologic, and oncological surgeries. Currently, she is the Chair of the ECC Committee of COSECSA and practices at Sidilega Private Hospital in Botswana.

Education, Scientific and Research Committee - Chair

Dr Michael Mwachiro MBChB, MPH, FACS, FCS (ECSA)

Dr. Michael Mwachiro Is a consultant General surgeon and interventional endoscopist. He is the current chair of the Education, Scientific and Research Committee. He is the current Vice President of the Surgical Society of Kenya. He has previously served as the country rep for Kenya and Secretary General of the Surgical Society of Kenya. He is a founder member of the African Esophageal Cancer Consortium. His research interests are in gastrointestinal cancer with a focus on esophageal cancer and surgical education. He is an alumnus of the Surgical Education and Leadership Fellowship program of the Association of Surgical Education. He is also an alumnus of the University of California Global Fellowship from the Fogarty International Institute as well as the African Cancer Leaders Institute. He is on the editorial board of several journals including Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (GIE) of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, is an assistant editor of the Annals of African Surgery and recently the Editorial board of Global Surgical Education the official journal of the Association of Surgical Education. He is a COSECSA Master Trainer and has conducted several training sessions both for COSECSA and our sister colleges CANECSA and ECSACOG.

Finance and General Purpose Committee - Chair

Dr. Celestine B Mbangtang MBBS (Ibadan); DA (Ibadan); MMed (Surgery) Zimbabwe; FRCS (Edinburgh); FCS (ECSA); FICS.

Dr. Celestine B. Mbangtang is an accomplished surgeon with extensive experience in general surgery, dedicated to advancing surgical practice and medical education in his region. He has held prominent leadership roles, contributing significantly to surgical training and health system improvements. Currently, he serves as the Chair of the Finance and General Purpose Committee (FGPC) of COSECSA. Dr. Mbangtang is recognized for his commitment to mentorship, research, and the development of surgical standards, positioning him as a respected leader and advocate for quality surgical care.

COSECSA Council Country Representatives

#	Name	Position	Country
1	Dr Bothwell Mbuwayesango	Country Representative	ZIMBABWE
2	Dr Kevin Nduku	Country Representative	ZIMBABWE
3	Dr Kazobinka Gallina	Country Representative	BURUNDI
4	Dr Venerand Barendegere	Country Representative	BURUNDI
5	Dr Woubedel Kiflu	Country Representative	ETHIOPIA
6	Dr Atakilti Baraki	Country Representative	ETHIOPIA
7	Dr Karen Mbaabu	Country Representative	KENYA
8	Dr Caesar Bitta	Country Representative	KENYA
9	Prof Emmy Nkusi	Country Representative	RWANDA
10	Dr Faustine Ntryinganya	Country Representative	RWANDA
11	Dr Mayen Achiek	Country Representative	SOUTH SUDAN
12	Dr Mapuor Mading	Country Representative	SOUTH SUDAN
13	Prof Ahmed Elsayed	Country Representative	SUDAN
14	TBC	Country Representative	SUDAN
15	Dr. Rose Alenyo	Country Representative	UGANDA
16	Prof. Moses Galukande	Country Representative	UGANDA
17	Dr. Petronila Ngiloi	Country Representative	TANZANIA
18	Dr. Larry Akoko	Country Representative	TANZANIA
19	Dr Gift Mulima	Country Representative	MALAWI
20	Dr Tiyamike Chilinjuka	Country Representative	MALAWI
21	Dr Vanda Amado	Country Representative	MOZAMBIQUE
22	Prof Sergio Salvador	Country Representative	MOZAMBIQUE
23	Dr Pueya Nashidengo	Country Representative	NAMIBIA
24	Dr Akutu Munyika	Country Representative	NAMIBIA
25	Dr Seke Kazuma	Country Representative	ZAMBIA
26	Dr Victor Mapulanga	Country Representative	ZAMBIA
27	Dr Steven Mannion	Overseas Representative	UNITED KINGDOM
28	Prof Sherry Wren	Overseas Representative	USA
29	Dr Mpapho Mostumi	Country Representative	BOTSWANA
30	Dr Lesetedi Chiapo	Country Representative	BOTSWANA
31	Dr Fortunate Mudede	WiSA chair	ZAMBIA