Child s Nervous System | 2019
ISPN presidential address 2018. Paediatric neurosurgery: Africa is our future
Abstract
It is the greatest honour of my career to stand before you in the presidential poncho for this, the 46th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Paediatric Neurosurgery. I would like to start by thanking you all for being here, and thank our host and Annual Meeting Chair, Professor Shlomi Constantini and the local organizing committee, as well as our Scientific Chair, Professor Anthony Figaji (Tony) and the ISPN scientific committee. It is a big enough task to put together a meeting such as this, made even more challenging by the record number of abstracts received this year, but they have given us a program that showcases our specialty at its finest, so please join me in congratulating them for a job very well done. A special thank you to Tony for his warm and generous introduction, it has been a joy to transition from your teacher to mentor and friend and watch your career develop, and I cannot tell you how much it meant to hear your words today. As you said, there is special poignancy in having to introduce me immediately after paying tribute to someone we both respected and loved as much as the late Professor Jonathan Peter. It was a special treat for me to take the ISPN poncho home and show him last year. As his health failed, he asked me to promise we would ensure he was able to watch today’s proceedings online—well Jonathan, that’s no longer possible, but you are foremost in our thoughts right now. Founded nearly 50 years ago, the ISPN is truly a global organization which at present has 389 members from 60 countries—with so much in common, but also facing specific challenges in their own countries. As Tony has told you, I have a deep and abiding love for Africa, home for my family sincemy ancestors landed on the southern tip almost 200 years ago, and it will not surprise you that today I will focus our attention on Africa. An address such as this is always a personal story, with the bias and perspective that brings. I want to start by paying tribute to a few of the many people who have helped me in my career, acknowledging mentors and colleagues, and then take a look at Africa, the current status of neurosurgery, and the role of the ISPN. Two aspects I would like to highlight are the importance of having a vision for your career and being mindful of the wonderful opportunities we all enjoy as paediatric neurosurgeons.