Tanzania ENT

Tanzania Ear Nose Throat Mission

THE NEED

Tanzania is home to nearly 65 million people, with over 70% living in rural or remote areas with limited access to specialized medical care. The country faces a critical shortage of healthcare providers, with estimates suggesting it needs at least 90,000 more medical professionals to meet even basic healthcare demands.

Although the median age is just 18 years old, life expectancy remains around 66 years. Access to physicians is alarmingly low—only 0.03 doctors per 1,000 people—compared to 2.6 per 1,000 in the United States.

Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) conditions are among the leading causes of hospital admissions in Tanzania, especially among children. Yet there are only a handful of ENT specialists serving the entire country. At Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza—our regional partner—the demand for ENT care far outpaces the hospital’s capacity. The need for skilled support and additional resources is urgent.

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Led by Dr. Ayal Willner & the medical team from MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, we travel to Tanzania for one of our pediatric ear, nose & throat (ENT) missions to provide critical pediatric otolaryngology surgeries and training.

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progress and goals

Mending Kids is entering a multi-year partnership with Bugando Medical Centre to help establish and train the country’s first generation of pediatric ENT surgeons. We’re excited to have the full support of the hospital leadership and are currently working to gain formal recognition and accreditation through COSECSA, which does not yet offer a designated pathway for this specialty. This collaboration represents a vital step toward building long-term surgical capacity and expanding access to care for thousands of children across Tanzania.

SUPPORT tanzania's ent mission through a monthly donation

Your tax-deductible donation will support Dr. Willner and his medical team's travel for the mission, as well as the purchase of medical supplies to provide this critical surgical care. Everyone on the medical team, including Dr. Willner donates their time and services to give these kids a chance at a healthier life.

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Story of our local hero - Dr. Cecilia Protas

I am Dr. Cecilia Protas, a fresh graduate in otolaryngology surgery from Catholic University in Health and Applied Sciences (CUHAS) Bugando, Mwanza, Tanzania. I am currently working at Rabinisia Hospital in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, as chief otolaryngologist. I attend nearly 100 patients a week, do about 10 surgeries, about half are children.

During my training at CUHAS, I had the opportunity to meet ENT surgeons from Mending Kids that inspired me to become an ENT surgeon and to specialize in pediatrics. I have been working with the team for the past 3 years, which has given me many important insights on saving children’s lives through ENT surgery, particularly on knowledge and advanced techniques.

Tanzania ear nose throat mission

Help Us Mend Kids in Tanzania.

Our surgical team is donating their skills, time, and hearts — but getting them there, and giving them what they need to operate, takes resources.

Your donation helps cover flights from Los Angeles, hotel stays near the hospital, extra luggage fees to transport vital supplies, and the consumables needed in every surgery. It also supports the effort behind the scenes to make it all run smoothly.

Every dollar gets us closer to transforming lives — not just through surgery, but through the power of showing up.