Ethiopia News

24 September 2012, 11:40 A.M.

Visitor: Mrs. Guenet Guebre-Selassie, Program Director, Canadian International Immunization Initiative, and Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) met Dr. Khaled Bessaoud, Acting WHO Representative (WR) to Ethiopia at the WCO.

Present at the debriefing meeting were: Dr. Fiona Braka, Dr. Gavin Grant, and Dr. Kassahun Mitiku from WCO EPI Sub-Unit

Addis Ababa, 24-28, September -- The 5 -day Regional consultation on Regional Agenda for Accelerating Universal Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health involving participants from 28 African countries kicked off on the 24th of September 2012.

03 September 2012, EHNRI, Addis Ababa -- The Third Round of the International Training Course on Planning and Management of Malaria Control Programs for Anglophone African Countries is underway, launched on the 3rd of September 2012, at Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI) in Addis Ababa. In attendance were Dr. Amha Kebede, Acting Director General of the EHNRI, Dr. Khaled Bessaoud, Acting WHO Representative to Ethiopia and Dr. Basimike Mulenda, WHO/AFRO Focal point for malaria capacity development.

14 December 2012, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -- In a handover ceremony hosted at WHO Ethiopia Country Office, Mr. Nahu-Senaye Araya, Chairman, Rotary International National Polio plus Committee (NPPC), Polio plus Program handed over a check of ETB 3.5 million to Dr Khaled Bessaoud, Acting WHO Country Representative and Ms. Patrizia DiGiovani, Deputy UNICEF Country Representative to support Polio Eradication activities in Ethiopia.

A new approach to routine immunization in the rural Afar region in north-eastern Ethiopia nearly quadrupled the numbers of children vaccinated against measles, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio and other diseases in 2010 (from as low as 22% to nearly 80% coverage in the target area). The immunization activity used “community champions” to encourage nomadic, pastoral families to have their children vaccinated and introduced new approaches such as task shifting to improve service delivery to these hard-to-reach populations.

H. E. Dr Teodros Adhanom, Federal Minister of Health, Ethiopia,
H.E. Wizero Azeb Mesfin, Member of the Parliament, Founder of the National Mental Health Initiative
Dear Wizero Yezabnesh Taddesse, Ethiopian Mental Health Society Founder and Board member
Dear Dr Yonas Bahir, Ethiopian Mental Health Society - Board president
Dear Dr Dawit Assefa, Chief Executive Officer OF Amanuel Mental Health Specialized Hospital
Dear all mental health work force members working in different level of the health system

Dear Distinguished Guests

Your Excellency, Girma Wolde Ghiorghis , President of the Federal Democratic  Republic of Ethiopia

Honorable Minister for Health, Dr Tewodros Adhanom
Respected Guests of Federal Ministry of Health - Rotary International members and partners of the polio eradication initiative
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

14 December 2012, Bishoftu, Ethiopia -- The Five - Days workshop on “Implementation Research Protocol Development” concluded on December 14, 2012. The workshop was part of the initiative established to build the capacity of African countries (Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Guinea, Mozambique, and Zambia) in the areas of implementation research with focus on Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (Millennium Development Goal-(MDG 4) and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (MDG 6) programs.

My speech will be very short, not statement oriented, but good will’s wishing oriented. 

On behalf of the Cluster on Human and Social Development and the World Health Organization that I have the privilege to represent in Ethiopia and also to AUC and UNECA, I would like to welcome you and to convey our warm greetings to all the participants to this meeting in Addis Ababa, the politic capital of Africa.

Inside this issue:

Polio Campaign activities launched in 2012
Cross - Border Collaboration for Polio Eradication Activities
Rotarians praised during the debriefing of Cross border Synchronized SIAs
Ethiopia Observed World AIDS Day
Annual Review Meeting ended with recommendations to scale up Blood Transfusion Services
Training, Communication and Advocacy Workshops conducted on NTDs to boost Promotion, Prevention and Control