Tokyo, Japan – April 4th, 2025 – HOYA Group and PENTAX Medical announced an agreement with IRCAD Africa, a training and research center in minimally invasive surgery, to collaborate on education for physicians learning flexible endoscopy.
PENTAX Medical is proud to be the global partner of the world-renowned surgical training institution IRCAD as it further expands into the field of endoscopy. PENTAX Medical will be part of IRCAD Africa's training center in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, where it has donated endoscopy equipment. Additionally, PENTAX Medical's team will support events and courses delivered by IRCAD Africa for training and education. IRCAD Africa aims to provide state-of-the-art education to advance healthcare across the African continent. It offers extensive training programs in various medical specialties, equipping healthcare professionals with hands‑on experience, in‑depth theoretical knowledge, and practical skills.
This collaboration is especially significant, as Dr. Michelle Smith, Acting CEO and Medical Director of IRCAD Africa, explained: “We are excited to partner with PENTAX Medical to enhance our training in flexible endoscopy. This collaboration will provide our gastroenterologists and surgeons with access to leading-edge endoscopy technology and expertise, which is essential for enhancing their diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic skills. This partnership is a significant step towards advancing healthcare in Africa by ensuring that our healthcare professionals are equipped with the latest techniques to deliver better patient care. As the incidence of gastric and colorectal cancer is increasing, along with other gastrointestinal diseases, specialists’ training in flexible endoscopy is crucial for our continent to meet the growing demand for high-quality endoscopy services and to bridge the gap in medical expertise.”
Robert Priest, EMEA President of PENTAX Medical, HOYA Corporation, also expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration: “We are truly excited to collaborate with IRCAD Africa, further expanding our training capabilities and contributing to its esteemed education programs. Our commitment to empowering medical professionals through enhanced knowledge and education remains unwavering.”
This partnership reflects PENTAX Medical’s strategic commitment to professional education, collaborating with dedicated healthcare providers to improve lives through the development of advanced medical solutions. As part of its ESG goals, PENTAX Medical is also committed to supporting the training of young healthcare professionals by partnering with medical schools and healthcare institutions. Furthermore, the company places special emphasis on providing training and support in underserved regions, helping to strengthen global access to high-quality medical care.
About IRCAD Africa
IRCAD Africa is a leading center for training and research in minimally invasive surgery, located in Kigali, Rwanda. Established in October 2023, it is the first such center on the African continent and part of the global IRCAD network. Its mission is to train African surgeons in advanced surgical techniques and to advance research in minimally invasive surgery, including through the Disrumpere project, which utilizes artificial intelligence to improve diagnostic and surgical capabilities. Since its inception, IRCAD Africa has trained over 400 surgeons from 27 African countries, significantly enhancing surgical standards across the continent.
For more information: https://www.ircad.space/
About PENTAX Medical
PENTAX Medical is a division of HOYA Group. The company’s mission is to improve the standard of patient care and quality of healthcare delivery by providing the best endoscopic products and services with a focus on QUALITY, CLINICALLY RELEVANT INNOVATION, and SIMPLICITY.
PENTAX Medical strives to align with the healthcare community’s Triple Aim goals through transparent partnerships with its customers and by providing the highest quality solutions to help them reach their goals, including enabling customers to improve patient outcomes by offering evidence-based solutions across the continuum of care; ensuring value by supporting the customers to improve their efficiency and minimize their healthcare costs; and enriching patient and provider’s experience by empowering every member of the care team to achieve optimal outcomes through products, education, and support.
Focused on the outcome instead of technological features, PENTAX Medical listens to the healthcare community and their patients, understands their daily obstacles and helps improve endoscopy with smart innovations.
For more information: https://www.pentaxmedical.com
About HOYA
Founded in 1941 in Tokyo, Japan, HOYA Corporation is a global technology and med‑tech company and a leading supplier of innovative high‑tech and medical products. HOYA is active in the fields of healthcare and information technology, providing eyeglasses, medical endoscopes, intraocular lenses, optical lenses, as well as key components for semiconductor devices, LCD panels, and hard disk drives. With over 150 offices and subsidiaries worldwide, HOYA currently employs a multinational workforce of over 35,000 people.
For more information, please visit: https://www.hoya.com.
Media contact:
Omnicom PR Group
Suzanne Koshiaris
Email suzanne.koshiaris@omnicomprgroup.com
Document control number: MKGEN-5221EN-EMEA Rev 1