Ethiopia News

The eighth World Malaria Day was celebrated for the eighth time on 25 April 2015 in Hawassa, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) in a colorful event that called for renewed commitment and increased investment towards Malaria control and elimination. The message of this year’s World Malaria Day is, “Invest in the Future.

Addis Ababa. 21 November 2014 – A project established by the Tigray Region’s Bureau of Labor and Social Affairs (BoLSA) in 2009 to address social determinants of health at community level improves access to healthcare and ensures social protection through Community Care Coalitions (CCCs). 

The Government of Ethiopia announced the achievement of the MDG 7c target on access to drinking water supply on 23 March 2015. Today, over 52 million people in Ethiopia have access to clean and safe water, compared to only 6 million people in 1990. This achievement was confirmed after the WHO/UNICEF Global Joint Monitoring Programme for Water and Sanitation (JMP) mission to Ethiopia in November 2014. 

Addis Ababa. 24 November 2014 – The third polio outbreak assessment in Ethiopia was successfully conducted on 17-21 November 2014. The assessment follows a recommendation from the Horn of Africa Technical Advisory Group (TAG) at its last meeting in August 2014 to conduct a follow up assessment.

Bahir Dar. 25 November 2014. A high-level Nutrition Advocacy Mission urged for sustained efforts to accelerate nutrition interventions and multi-sectoral linkages in Ethiopia. The round table was convened by WHO on this occasion to sensitize government delegates and partners on the Accelerating Nutrition Improvements project and other UN Renewed Efforts Against Child Hunger and undernutrition (REACH) activities supporting the implementation of Ethiopia's National Nutrition Programme.

The last week of April each year is marked by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners as World Immunization Week. It aims to raise public awareness of how immunization saves lives, encouraging people everywhere to vaccinate themselves and their children against deadly diseases. This year, World Immunization Weekwas observed on 24-30 April with the message, “Close the Immunization Gap”. As part of the week-long event, the African Vaccination Week was held with the theme, “Vaccination: a gift for life”. 

Addis Ababa. 25 November 2014 -- As in the past, the United Nations delivering as One in Ethiopia supported and took part in the 14th Edition of the Great Ethiopian Run on 23 November 2014, organized this year with the theme, "Empower Women, Empower a Nation".

UN heads of agencies were present at the event to participate in special ceremonies or participate in the Run.  Among those present were Mr Eugene Owusu, UNDP Representative, UN Resident Coordinator and UN Humanitarian Coordinator, and Dr Pierre M'pele-Kilebou, WHO Representative. 

The UN Global Road Safety Week, commemorated in Addis Ababa with the theme, Save Kids’ Lives (#SaveKidsLives) brings students and teachers of schools with high risk for road accidents due to proximity to heavy road traffic together with officials from the Ministries of Health and Transport, the Addis Ababa Bureaus of Education, Health and Transport and the Federal and Addis Ababa Traffic Police as well as WHO for a dialogue on saving children’s lives from road accidents.

As part of its commitment to provide technical support to Ethiopia’s efforts to ensure the health of its people, the WHO Ethiopia Country Office engages in supportive supervision of research and health intervention across the country. On 7-9 May 2015, a WHO delegation led by Dr Pierre M’pele, WHO Representative, was on mission in Lalibela of Amhara Region in northern Ethiopia for supportive supervision of the ongoing non-communicable diseases (NCD) STEPs Survey. 

GAMBELLA. 1 December 2014. The 26th World AIDS Day was commemorated in Gambella Town on 30 November to mobilize people to know their HIV status and seek treatment services. A total of 3383 people were tested at the HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign held in Gambella Stadium in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record on ‘Most people being tested for HIV in single venue for eight hours’. Out of those tested, 82 (2.4%) were positive and linked to health facilities for support and further follow up.