Southern Ethiopia - Gwent Health Link

Our link has been trying for the last 4 years to help establish a formal link between Hwassa and one of the Universities in UK. For this purpose we have sponsored visits of key personnel from Hwassa to UK on several occasions. We have also been in regular dialogue with Cardiff University regarding this for the last few years. We are delighted that in mid 2006 a formal institutional link between Cardiff and Hwassa University has been agreed. We have also been able to negotiate a British Council grant for this link for the next three years including our link as one of the partners. First visit from Cardiff University to Hwassa is due in March 2007 to be followed immediately by reciprocal visit from Hwassa to Cardiff.

Supporting hospitals and Hwassa University

Our link has continued to support the hospitals in the SNNPR region of southern Ethiopia with essential equipment and instruments. We have previously donated eight oxygen concentrators to different hospitals.

Following request from Arbaminch and Hwassa hospitals we have donated them with essential obstetric instruments including destructive delivery sets. Arbaminch hospital has also been provided with burr hole/craniotomy instruments as well as metallic tracheostomy tubes. At the end of 2006 another 14 oxygen concentrators has been sent for the hospitals in the SNNPR region. Burr hole/craniotomy instruments requested by Butajira hospital has been procured and waiting to be sent with the next visiting team.

Apart from these we have provided Hwassa and Yirgalem hospitals with essential anaesthetic and surgical instruments and equipment. We have donated to the Hwassa University in 2006 many essential text books in obstetrics, midwifery, eye diseases and communicable diseases. Our link has helped to set up a computer library in Hwassa University and have provided with many CDROM books.

Collaboration with the World Health Organisation

Following on from the Global Initiative Meeting on Emergency and Essential Surgical Care (GIEESC) in December 2005, in which myself and Dr Aberra presented our CME skill straining programmes for the HOs, WHO has now published the full report in which it recognises our link’s work and recommends similar programmes for other countries. Since then WHO, including its country office in Ethiopia, has been keen to cooperate with us in our activities in training of frontline health workers. WHO representatives participated and shared some of the costs of the recent ‘Training of the trainers’ workshop cost with us.

National Task force

Since we initiated last year the development of a National task Force in Ethiopia to coordinate training of the HOs, the committee is now trying to develop an attractive career structure for the HOs. The committee also fully appreciate our links efforts especially in running of the CME programme and starting the Training of trainers programme.

Wales for Africa

In October 2006, First Minister of the Welsh Assembly Government launched Wales for Africa programme. In this programme urgent need to actively support sub Saharan African countries in reaching Millennium Development Goals are stressed. In its submission the WAG has cited our link as model of a successful link and way forward. Our link is expecting to receive support from this scheme in our future activities.

Support for the link in the local community

In the local community reputation of the link has steadily increased. Martin Singers of Chepstow arranged a music evening in March 2006 and raised over £900-00 for the link. The Mayor of Blaenau Gwent nominated our link as one of the charity for his office in 2005-2006 and donated us through fund raising over £11,000-00. Apart from this the link has continued to receive support from individuals in the community. One patient donated to the link all of the nearly thousand pounds she received instead of gifts for her 80th birthday.

Since the last few months of 2006 Abergavenny community forum has been keen to work together with our link and hoping to develop a community link between Abergavenny and southern Ethiopia.