Ethiopia
In 2009 Médecins Sans Frontières refocused its activities in Ethiopia. In July, our team handed over to the local health authorities its kala azar treatment program in Humera on the border with Eritrea and Sudan. The move followed a series of important steps taken by the government and other organisations, including treatment of the disease in all health structures and the introduction of a national training curriculum for health staff. In the 11 years that Médecins Sans Frontières worked in the Humera district; approximately 8,000 people suffering from kala azar were treated. In the northwest Amhara region, our team continued to provide care for people infected with kala azar. Throughout the year, more than 800 people were screened for the disease and nearly 250 patients treated for it.
Médecins Sans Frontières also treated people with HIV, TB and malnutrition. In 2009, more than 4,000 people received counselling and testing for HIV and 250 patients started antiretroviral therapy. More than 500 people received therapeutic food including 250 malnourished children under five years old.
In Ethiopia’s conflict affected Somali region, where many people have no access to health care, teams continued to provide free medical assistance. Staff focused on strengthening and promoting the maternal health services here. These efforts were successful: more than 1,600 women received antenatal consultations and 200 women received assistance for births during the year. Mobile clinics are also in place in the area to help reach rural communities.
Médecins Sans Frontières has worked in Ethiopia since 1984.
05/06/2008
“Life is a daily struggle but for many people this year that struggle became too much to bear”
Category: Field news
27/05/2008
Two weeks ago the medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) launched a nutritional intervention in some areas of the southern region of Oromiya in Ethiopia, following assessments that showed alarming levels...
Category: Field news
14/04/2008
Melbourne nurse Anthony Flynn writes from Oromiya, the largest region in Ethiopia, where he has been involved in an emergency measles vaccination campaign. This is Anthony’s second mission with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). His...
Category: Letters from the field
19/03/2008
Although in the developed world measles has been almost overcome, in many countries it remains a major public health concern. The high mortality rate due to measles is preventable and mass immunisation against measles is one of...
Category: Field news
04/09/2007
Nairobi - Violence and displacement are threatening the lives of the civilian population in Ethiopia’s conflict-affected Somali region, says the medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Despite urgent...
Category: Press releases