Pediatrician

Dr Pieter J. de Waal

Doctor Pieter de Waal is a Paediatrician and Allergist and the only qualified paediatric asthma and allergy specialist in the Free State. He finished his paediatric specialization in 2008 at the University of the Free State and worked as a Pediatrician in private practice since then. He is passionate about teaching his field of expertise to pre- and post-graduate students, and in 2012, joined the University of the Free State as an Allergy Consultant and Senior Lecturer. He has a special interest in pediatric asthma and in 2017, obtained a National Certificate in Asthma Care, from the South African National Asthma Education Program. In 2018, Dr de Waal furthered his studies in Allergy, obtaining his Diploma in Allergy, from the College of Medicine of South Africa (cum laude). In 2019, he qualified as a subspecialist in Allergology, from the University of Cape Town at Red Cross Children’s Hospital and is now back in Bloemfontein to not only treat children with general medical problems, but also to provide and expand the a much needed allergy service in the Free State and Northern Cape. His passion: to increase the quality of service provided to patients with allergy and asthma and to improve allergy training and awareness among healthcare professionals and the public in central South Africa. Dr de Waal has presented at various academic congresses and has been the co-author of various academic articles in allergy journals. He is currently in the process of obtaining his Master of Philosophy in Allergology, at the University of Cape Town, studying the microbiome of fresh and fermented cow’s milk and its role in protecting against allergy. 

Conditions of specific interest to him are:

• General paediatric diseases and routine healthcare visits
• Pediatric Asthma
• Allergies of the nose and the eyes
• Atopic Dermatitis and other allergic skin conditions
• Food allergy and intolerances
• Penicillin and other suspected drug reactions
• Bee sting and other insect reactions.