Ethiopia News

High-level political commitment bolsters eradication campaign in endemic region of Gambella
Addis Ababa. 19 March 2014 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the lowest-ever number of reported cases of guinea-worm disease since the eradication campaign began in the mid- 1980s. After more than 30 years of continuous struggle, only 148 cases were reported globally in 2013.

Addis Ababa. 28 February 2014 – Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) were signed between the FMOH and six training institutions, namely, Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, and Universities of Mekelle, Jimma, Hawassa, Bahir Dar and Haramaya on 21 February 2014 at a Mental Health Forum held in Addis Ababa. The MoUs have formalized the role of the training institutions in the scale up process.

Addis Ababa, 4 February -- World Health Organization Country Office for Ethiopia welcomed closer collaboration with UNOPS, the operational arm of the United Nations, after a meeting with Garry Conille, UNOPS Regional Director for Africa, and Bamidele Ilebani, UNOPS Country Coordinator for Ethiopia, Djibouti and South Sudan.

The cordial meeting gave an opportunity for WHO to highlight areas of collaboration between UNOPS and WHO to intensify their joint efforts to Deliver as One in Ethiopia, particularly to improve procurement and operations capacity during emergencies.

Addis Ababa, 31 January 2014 –- After over ten years without a single indigenous case of wild poliovirus (WPV), in 2013 importation of the virus was witnessed in Ethiopia. The country is now one of three countries with imported polio cases since the current outbreak affecting the Horn of Africa began in Somalia in May 2013. 

Addis Ababa, 27 January -- Ethiopian House of Peoples’ Representatives ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) on 21 January 2014. The main objective of the Convention is to decrease the demand and supply of tobacco and tobacco products. It is the first international treaty negotiated in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic. The Convention represents a milestone for the promotion of public health and provides new legal dimensions for international health cooperation.  

Inside this issue:

2 WHO supporting the first round of nationwide polio supplementary immunization activity, 3-6 October 2013

4 WHO Regional Director urged all to fight stigma and discrimination against persons affected by leprosy

5 Independent review identifies progress and challenges of Ethiopia’s tuberculosis control efforts

6 The 63rd WHO Regional Committee for Africa agreed to intensify efforts across the health sector

7 We did it! Ethiopia achieves Millennium Development Goal 4

Ethiopian Orthodox Church Initiates Partnership to Improve Health Services

Addis Ababa, 17 December 2013 -- At an event that brought together the diplomatic community, develop-ment partners, UN agencies, the private sector and the Ethiopian Government on 10 December 2013 at Sher-aton Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOC) presented the Mekelle Debre Amin Abune Teklehaimanot Public Hospital and Medical College project.

Addis Ababa, 4 December -- State Minister Dr Kebede Worku, Federal Ministry of Health, announced yesterday at the “Get Involved in Tobacco Control” high level advocacy workshop in Addis Ababa that Ethiopia will soon ratify the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). WHO FCTC is the first international treaty negotiated in response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic. The Convention represents a milestone for the promotion of public health and provides new legal dimensions for international health cooperation.

Addis Ababa 18 November -- Rotarians from the United States of America and Canada have been supporting Ethiopia’s polio eradication efforts for over ten years. As part of their support, 32 Rotarians, representing the 24,000 Rotarians in the US and Canada, are currently visiting Ethiopia to better understand the challenges remaining to kick polio out of the country.

Addis Ababa, 23 October 2013 -- An international three-day workshop on developing national eHealth strategies kicked off yesterday in Addis Ababa. Jointly organized by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the workshop aims to facilitate the development of comprehensive eHealth strategies using the National eHealth Strategy Toolkit developed by WHO and ITU.