A delegation of African surgeons spent four days at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital learning from leading UK and world experts in head and neck surgery.

The two specialists visited the UK to attend the European Head and Neck Course led by British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS) Maxillofacial and Head and Neck Consultant, Sat Parmar and ENT Consultant Surgeon, Paul Pracy.

The delegation included Rwandan-based doctor, Dr Magabo. The aim of Dr Magabo's visit, which was funded by BAOMS, was to gain a stronger understanding of the UK's approach to head and neck surgery in order to apply the skills and knowledge that he acquired back in his home town.

The three day course covered the current management of head and neck cancer within a multidisciplinary framework. The course aimed to present a combined approach towards the management of patients with head and neck cancer through the use of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. There was also a one day course on Chemoradiotherapy in Head and Neck cancer aimed at surgeons.

Dr Magabo, 40, who gained his qualifications in Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Cape Town, having previously studied in Nairobi, Kenya and who now works in a hospital in Rwanda, said: ‘Oral and Maxillofacial surgery is an extremely dynamic field and this course provides me with the opportunity to catch up on what is happening across it. I am really looking forward to being able to transfer the mass of knowledge I gain from the course back to my hospital in Rwanda.’

Sat Parmar, Maxillofacial Head and Neck Consultant said: ‘This is a great initiative by BAOMS and ENT UK to sponsor doctors from developing countries aimed at improving treatment in their own countries.’