Africa Table Showcase: SASH Scholar Spotlight
The Center for African Studies (CAS) is excited to partner with the Stanford African Scholars in Global Health Program (SASH) for an engaging Africa Table lecture on October 8th from 12–1 PM at Encina Commons 123. This event will spotlight the impactful work of global scholars addressing critical health challenges in Africa.
Panelist 1: Dr. Barnabas Atwiine, MBChB, MMed – Pediatrics
Home Country: Uganda
Title/Institution: Pediatric Oncologist/Hematologist, Mbarara University of Science and Technology
Session Title: Treating Childhood Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges, Realities & Hope
Session Description: This session features the voice of a frontline healthcare worker specializing in childhood cancer and the lived experiences of affected families, shedding light on the reality of diagnosis, treatment and survival in environments constrained by poverty, limited infrastructure and scarce medical resources. It also highlights the resilience of communities and the innovations shaping a more hopeful future for pediatric care in Africa.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Barnabas Atwiine is a pediatrician and childhood cancer specialist, working with children affected by cancer and other catastrophic illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa. His academic and clinical focus lies in the psychosocial dimensions of childhood cancer and how these factors influence treatment outcomes. He serves as faculty at Mbarara University of Science and Technology and is the Head of Cancer and Blood Disease Services at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, both located in Mbarara City, southwest Uganda.
Panelist 1: Dr. Yvonne Ayerki Nartey, MBChB, PhD
Home Country: Ghana
Title/Institution: Physician Specialist – Internal Medicine, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital
Session Title: Viral Hepatitis Burden and Prevention in LMICs
Session Description: This session will explore the significant burden of viral Hepatitis B and C infection in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs), highlighting the public health impacts and challenges in prevention and management. It aims to showcase innovative strategies to increase awareness, reduce transmission and improve management in resource constrained settings, while fostering dialogue on interventions to combat viral hepatitis as a global health issue.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Yvonne Ayerki Nartey is a Gastroenterology fellow-in-training and lecturer at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital/University of Cape Coast in Ghana. She holds a PhD in medical epidemiology and her research focuses on the epidemiology and prevention of viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma in Africa.
Drs. Atwiine and Nartey are two of 24 African physicians competitively selected for the Stanford African Scholars in Global Health (SASH) program in 2025, through which they are spending six weeks at Stanford to share their expertise while gaining skills to implement year-long quality improvement projects to improve health outcomes at their institutions.