Dr. Alliance: How PAPSEP is benefitting children in Burundi

Dr. Niyukuri Alliance is an incredible paediatric surgeon and former Kids Operating Room scholar. In 2023, Dr. Alliance graduated from his training to become one of his home country's, Burundi, first ever children's surgical care providers. 

Our PAPSEP platform recently celebrated the successful completion of its first 3 year cycle. A keen user of the platform, we asked Dr. Alliance about how its materials benefitted him during training.

What made you specialise in paediatric surgery?

Initially, it was a personal experience about 9 years ago with a patient who suffered from a pediatric surgery condition, followed by a overwhelming need for paediatric surgical care I faced in rural Burundi when I worked there as a general surgeon.

What impact did PAPSEP have on your training? 

A great impact indeed. During my pediatric surgery fellowship I really needed an easily accessible learning material that addressed paediatric surgery both with an evidence based approach, and still address the challenges of managing such conditions in Africa. PAPSEP did exactly that for me!!

Before PAPSEP, how did you access education and training?

I mainly used textbooks (pdf versions), platforms such as up-to-date, and online lectures/discussions sessions in particular CBCLIBS by Professor Sheriff Emile.

How has PAPSEP helped improve your ability to provide care?

As a practicing pediatric surgeon now, I can see even more the great value of the PAPSEP online modules, and discussion sessions because the knowledge acquired applies most of the times to the patients that I treat now in Burundi.

What impact do you think having access to PAPSEP’s education could make for pediatric surgical workforce across Africa and in Burundi?

It will allow trainees, and potentially consultants in this region to access great evidence based material that includes as well updated information on approaches to pediatric surgical conditions in our region of Africa. Hence patients in our region can be treated even better with access to material put together and continually updated by experts managing these patients in our region.

Furthermore, I foresee it growing to be the go to tool for updates on management of pediatric surgical conditions in Africa.