Ethiopia News

Joint statement by WHO-UNICEF-ROTARY on World Polio Day

Afar Region, Ethiopia, 05 November 2022 – Today we commemorate the 2022 World Polio Day (WPD) to highlight progress made by the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and partners towards polio eradication, and we – the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and ROTARY – reaffirm our commitment to continue delivering on our promise until polio is eliminated in Ethiopia. 

World Polio Day commemorations for this year kicked off globally on 24th October 2022 with the theme “World Polio Day 2022 and Beyond: A healthier future for mothers and Children”.

Ethiopia’s Polio Laboratory attains WHO accreditation

Addis Ababa - The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) national laboratory accredited by the World Health Organization (WHO) to continue operating its duties as a National Polio Laboratory for Ethiopia. The laboratory-maintained its accreditation since 2001 though the onsite accreditation was not conducted for the past two years due to the pandemic. 

The Ethiopian National Influenza Laboratory gets recognized as a WHO National Influe...

Following an on-sight assessment by a team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Influenza Laboratory of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) has been recognized as a World Health Organization (WHO) National Influenza Centre (NIC) and joined the WHO global influenza surveillance network. The on-site assessment was performed by a WHO team composed of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) Lead, a technical specialist from the WHO Regional Office for Africa, and a laboratory coordinator from the WHO Ethiopia Country Office.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Health Launches a Five-Year National Health Equity Strateg...

The Ministry of Health of Ethiopia launched a Five-Year National Health Equity Strategy on 18 August 2022 during a one-day high-level advocacy workshop. The workshop, jointly organized with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Ethiopia brought together representatives from Social Development, Culture, and Sports Affairs Standing Committee of the House of Peoples’ Representatives, sector ministries, regional health bureaus, city administrations, academia, professional associations, donors and development partners. 

WHO Ethiopia celebrates World Breastfeeding Week 2022 with the global theme “Step up...

World Breastfeeding Week is commemorated worldwide in the first week of August to emphasize the importance of regular breastfeeding for babies and to encourage and support breastfeeding. The week also marks the anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration – the UN declaration on breastfeeding that was made on August 1, 1990. World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated annually across 170 countries through different activities, forums, and outreach campaigns.

Fighting female genital mutilation in Ethiopia: a passion born of personal pain

Meemuna Sadam* is a public health expert in the Somali Region in Ethiopia. Together with her colleagues, she raises awareness and provides education on female genital mutilation (FGM) to communities and also conducts advocacy actions targeting religious leaders. 

Meemuna is also a victim of FGM. “I was only six years old when they cut and sewed me up. The pain was unbearable; I still remember the fear, pain and abandonment I felt.” In the Somali region of Ethiopia, girls usually experience FGM between the ages of 5-10 years. 

Ongoing Efforts to Improve Infection Prevention and Control Practices in Ethiopia

Hailu Sabagadis, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Officer at WHO Ethiopia, and his team in Benishangul Gumuz Region have been regularly providing onsite and remote technical support to multiple healthcare facilities in the region. Hailu assesses and monitors the facilities' IPC capabilities and proper implementation of COVID-19 and other infection prevention activities.