THET

Ethiopia

THET in Ethiopia
THET has worked in Ethiopia for 20 years, supporting skills development of frontline health workers such as nurses, midwives and health officers. Other programmes include care of chronic disease in the community and support to health facilities in areas such as lab services, management and record keeping. We collaborate with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and with regional administrations to ensure our work supports national health priorities and the development of health systems in the country.

How THET is helping
More recently, THET has supported the development of Health Links. Links are long-term institutional partnerships between NHS Trusts, academic and research institutions in the UK and their counterparts overseas. THET facilitates the development of Links through advice, networking and occasional funding. With our support, Links help to build the capacity of Ethiopian partners by delivering vital training to health personnel. Training covers many disciplines and skills, for example surgery, nursing/midwifery, HIV/AIDS, record keeping and hospital management.

Continuing Medical Education of Health Officers in Ethiopia
Since 2002 THET has supported the Southern Ethiopia-Gwent Health Link and the Regional Health Bureau of the Southern Nations Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR) with Continuing Medical Education for health officers in 22 health centres.

Health officers are a cadre between the grades of nurse and medical doctor and are at the front line of rural care in Ethiopia – they are much less likely to join the external ‘brain drain’ than doctors. This collaboration between THET, Links and the Ethiopian health authorities is an example of how Links can be strategic, leading to long term strengthening of health services in poorer rural areas.

Professional development for nurses and midwives in Southern Ethiopia
This project aims to strengthen the practical skills and knowledge of practising nurses/midwives in hospitals and health centres in Southern Ethiopia through a programme of continuing medical education to help tackle high rates of maternal and infant mortality. 34 health centre and hospital nurses were trained by a team of nurses, midwifes and obstetricians from Hwassa hospital in Ethiopia and Gwent hospital in Wales. An evaluation found knowledge gained from this being put into practice.

Considerable improvements were reported in hygiene and infection control, and in conditions and practices designed to enhance comfort and wellbeing, such as respect for privacy of mothers.

Surgical training in Northern Ethiopia
THET has supported the Gondar – Leicester Link to develop a programme of postgraduate surgical training in Gondar. This is the only programme to train surgeons outside the capital. The purpose of this project is to improve the availability of surgical services to the rural poor in the Gondar region. Before this project began, patients requiring complicated surgery would be referred to Addis Ababa, over 760km away. Most patients cannot afford to travel this far and as a result, many life-saving operations were not carried out.

The programme supports academic and clinical training and supervision of trainees including outreach and community attachments at district hospitals. To date, five have graduated and all are working in the public sector delivering essential surgical services in Ethiopia.

Key achievements

Health officers, nurses and midwives across four regions of Ethiopia trained in clinical skills to help improve patient care
Training of the first five surgeons to graduate outside Addis Ababa, with all five still working in the public system
Donation of motorbike ambulances – the first to be introduced in Ethiopia

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Life expectancy in Ethiopia is low, at 55 years for men and 58 for women and key health statistics are as follows: