Mekelle Town, 07 June 2013 -- Dr Pierre M’pele Kilebou, WHO Representative to Ethiopia and his delegation (Dr Sofonias Getachew, National Program Officer (NPO) for Managerial Process for National health; Mr. Abraham Gebregiorgis, Senior Policy Advisor; Mr. Waltaji Terfa, NPO for Public Health and Environment; Dr Andrea Bruni, Mental Health Officer, Dr Abidara Desaley, NPO Surveillance; Dr Belay Tesfahunegn, NPO HIV/AIDS and Wassihun Melaku, NPO Health Promotion ) met H.E. Abay Woldu, President of Tigray Regional State to review WHO and Tigray cooperation and discuss how to intensify it. The President acknowledged WHO’s support and hand over a Certificate of Appreciation to WHO.

The delegation also met with Mr. Hagos Godefai, head of the Tigray Regional Health Bureau on ways of strengthening partnership and conducted a series of visits to: (1) Mental health activities: capacity building training of Mental health GAP, for staff of three Health Centers in Mekelle, (2) Drop of water initiative in Ashegoda community supported by Mekelle University students (3) Aider Referral Hospital visit and meeting with Medical Director and the dean of College of Health Sciences (4) Meeting with members of Adigrat Diocese Catholic Secretariat (5) Meeting with partners on enhancing collaboration (6) Agula Health Center, Aynalem Health Post, meeting with the health extension worker, the leader of Women Development Army and community members.

The delegation generally appreciated the quality of services being provided across all sites visited; the high level of commitment, dedication and motivation of the management and work force. The delegation acknowledged the strong linkage between the community, the Women Development Army, the health extension workers and the Health Center leadership. The engagement and ownership of all stakeholders to address the health problems was remarkable. The delegation recommended strongly that achievements and activities observed across all sites visited worth of documenting and scaling up in other parts of the region and sharing with the other regional states.

Concluding the visit, the WHO delegation held a debriefing meeting with Mr. Hagos Godefai, head Regional Health Bureau and his management team member. There was an agreement to enhance the collaboration, strengthen their ways of working and address identified gaps with specific modalities to materialize needed support, document, scale up and sustain best practices towards improving the health of the people of Tigray Region.

WHO Ethiopia intensifies its technical support to Tigray Region