Next Ethiopia Visit

20/03/10 - 27/03/10

  • Basic surgical skills course
  • Trauma & fracture workshop
  • Theatre nursing skill course
  • Training of community health workers
  • Donation of 50 bicycles
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Home Laboratory Skills Training
Laboratory Skills Training Print

Even in the early days of the link it was clear that there was a great deficiency in practical skills training of medical laboratory science students. The college of Health Sciences did not have teaching microscopes, laboratory reagents and other essential equipment. Moreover, teachers in the college lacked adequate teaching experience. Teaching was mostly theoretical with very little hands-on training in practical skills.

Laboratory technician with microscope

We have provided teaching microscopes, laboratory reagents as well as laboratory manuals to help train the students. Laboratory scientists from the link work with teachers from the local college of health sciences to organise practical skills training workshops for final year laboratory science students. We have trained over 200 laboratory students in these workshops.

We started Continuing Professional Development workshops for graduate laboratory technicians working in rural health facilities in 2002. We have trained over 120 laboratory scientists in these 3-yearly workshops.

The first histopathology service at Hawassa referral hospital

In response to a request from our Ethiopian partners, we have set up the very first histopathology service in Hawassa Referral Hospital in 2008. We also set up the very first frozen section biopsy service in Ethiopia at Hawassa Referral Hospital.

We, along with the college of health sciences, arranged a community-based programme for identifying Salmonella and H. Pylori. This was part of a practical training exercise for laboratory science and sanitarian students. We have also facilitated the establishment of the Ethiopian Medical Laboratory Technicians Association.

 

Maternal Mortality

Ethiopia has one of the highest maternal as well as infant mortality rates in the world.

Total expenditure per capita on health (Intl $, 2004):

Ethiopia : $21 >>

UK : $2560 >>

Life Expectancy at Birth

Men on average live for only 50 yrs and women for 53 yrs. In UK men and women live for 77yrs and 81yrs respectively.