Ethiopia News

ADDIS ABABA, 23 October 2015 | Marking the occasion of World Polio Day 2015, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and Rotary International, jointly reaffirm their commitment to ensure Ethiopia joins all countries in a polio-free world by 2018 – the global target for polio eradication world-wide. 

World Polio Day (WPD) was commemorated on 24 October 2015 at Addis Ababa National Assembly Hall in the presence of the Ethiopian Government, partners: WHO, UNICEF, USAID, and Rotary International and allies CCRDA/ CORE Group. This celebration inspired attendees and viewers to join the Polio eradication effort as Ethiopia is near the finish line: 2018.

A tree planting event took place at Ethiopian Heritage Trust, Entoto, on 4 October 2015 to celebrate Ethiopia – free of polio. The State Mnister of Health, Dr Kebede Worku, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative Dr Pierre M'pele-Kilebou, Rotarians from USA and Canada, Rotaractors and other partners such as Core Group, L10K (The Last 10 Kilometers) and other UN agencies were also part of the event. 

Increasing reports of communicable diseases and presence of a large number of refugees from south Sudan heightened the need for  strengthened public health emergency preparedness  and response  in Gembella Region.

“WHO commits again as a partner to ensure working together to improve  the health situation of people of Gambella and hundred thousands of refugees from South Sudan” said Dr. Pierre M’Pele-Kilebou, WHO Representative to Ethiopia as he handed over Emergency Health Kits to Gambella  Regional Health Bureau (RHB) .

A coordination meeting was conducted at the National Polio Laboratory in Addis Ababa on April 5, 2015. The participants of this meeting included the Head of the Polio and Measles Laboratory, senior laboratory experts, and staff from WHO. The purpose of the meeting was to review the 2015 polio and measles laboratory performance.  

WHO has been providing health and nutritional support to communities affected by health impact of increasing food insecurity and malnutrition in Sitti zone of Somali Regional State. Failure of rain for two consecutive seasons in many parts of the country is caused by the global El Niño phenomenon, resulting in a slow onset of natural disaster, according to a joint statement by His Excellency Mitiku Kassa, Secretary of the National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Committee and Mr. John Aylieff, Acting Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia.

Central EPI Team members supported the Ethiopian Food, Medicine and Health Care Administration and Control Authority (EFMHACA) to conduct a training of trainers (TOT) on Adverse events following immunization (AEFI) causality assessment for regional task force members in Adama town. The TOT was conducted in two rounds from 28th March - 1st April, 2016 and from April 12-15, 2016 respectively.

After two years and 10 months of leading the World Health Organization’s programme in Ethiopia, WHO Representative (WR), Dr Pierre M’pele-Kilebou, has completed his mission and moved on to Cotonou, Benin. 

At the end of his mission, Dr M’pele was honored by the Federal Ministry of Health as a Health Hero for his contributions to the successful implementation of the Health Sector Development Plan IV. The honoring ceremony was held at the 17th Annual Review Meeting of the Health Sector in Adama on 27 October 2015 in the presence of representatives from all regions of the country.

Health workers in Ethiopia are mostly women and they are playing a key role in immunization. In addition to many other responsibilities that they have, they are serving their communities by immunizing their children against vaccine preventable diseases towards saving lives of millions of children. Polio vaccination campaigns in Ethiopia rely on the commitment of local health workers who visit each and every house to ensure that no eligible child is left behind.

ADDIS ABABA, 17 May 2016 | An Official Handover Ceremony of Rotary’s Grant

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International grants Eth. Birr 88.8 million for operational support to ENDPOLIONOW in Ethiopia through WHO- Ethiopia. As long standing supporter of polio eradication initiative for the last 25 years, Rotary’s grant globally is bout USD 2.3 Billion.