Inside the doping hotspot of Ethiopia: dodgy testing and EPO over the counter

 The Guardian was able to purchase EPO at this chemist close to the national stadium in Addis Ababa. No questions were asked. Photograph: ARD

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Special report by Martha Kelner in Addis Ababa

Friday 4 August 2017 11.30 BSTLast modified on Friday 4 August 2017 12.38 BST

Inside Ethiopia’s flagship stadium, the bleachers are painted the green, yellow and red of the flag. The country’s best athletes have converged in Addis Ababa for the national championships while the great and good of Ethiopian sport gather trackside in matching beige suits and white baseball caps.

Haile Gebrselassie is among them, handing out medals in his capacity as the president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation. He receives a louder cheer than anyone when introduced by the stadium announcer. Two Olympic and four world 10,000m titles mark him out as one of the greatest distance runners of all time and the most famous man in Ethiopia, where athletics is the national sport. His reputation has helped build an enviable property and business portfolio, making him a wealthy man.

At one end of the stadium a billboard pictures other distance running greats Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba and Almaz Ayana, whose extraordinary 10,000m world record at the Rio Olympics last summer was greeted with disbelief in some quarters. Beneath them, in bold writing, is the statement: “It is possible to be the best without doping.”

However a joint investigation by the Guardian, the German broadcaster ARD and Holland Media Combination suggests that may not be true in every case. It shows how easy it is to obtain doping products in the country and there emerges a prevailing sense of disorganisation at the Ethiopian anti-doping agency, which is charged with testing athletes. A hugely successful Ethiopian athlete is also caught on undercover film, seeking a new doping programme and admitting to having taken performance-enhancing drugs before claiming one of her biggest titles.

The findings may raise concern for British Athletics, which holds annual high-altitude training camps in Ethiopia for top athletes, including Mo Farah, who is attempting to do the distance double for a third time at the world championships in London, which begin on Friday. Read more here

Global access to basic health services my priority — WHO DG, Dr. Tedros

By Gabriel Olawale

The new Director-General of the World Health Organisation, WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has identified the right of every individual to basic health services as  his  administration’s top priority.

According to him, improving global health requires effective engagement with all member states and across multiple sectors.

“Under my leadership an enhanced and independent WHO will take a science-led and innovation-based approach that is results-oriented and responsive, maximises inclusive partnerships, and ensures collective priority setting with all stakeholders.”

Tedros who previously served as Ministers of Health and Foreign Affairs in Ethiopia is optimistic that his administration would bring about a world where everyone can live healthy, productive lives, regardless of who they are or where they live.

“I believe in the global commitment to sustainable development which offers a unique opportunity to address the social, economic and political determinants of health and improve the health and well-being of people everywhere.

“Achieving this vision will require a strong, effective WHO that is able to meet emerging challenges and achieve the health objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. We need a WHO that is fit for the 21st century, that belongs to all equally. We need a WHO that is efficiently managed, adequately resourced and results driven, with a strong focus on transparency, accountability and value for money.

“I will champion mechanisms to meaningfully listen to, learn from and engage people and communities – including migrant, displaced and disabled individuals; people living in rural, urban slum and low-income areas; and other vulnerable populations.  “This engagement – and what we learn from it – will be at the centre of our efforts to mobilize resources and hold authorities accountable for the health of all, regardless of age, gender, income, sexual orientation or religion.

I will engage with Heads of State, Ministers across a wide range of portfolios, multilateral institutions, the UN system, civil society and the private sector to make access to health care and protection from infectious disease outbreaks a central.

Read more here

Ethiopia Attains Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination

“Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination in Ethiopia is hereby validated!” That was the conclusion of the joint mission from UNICEF and WHO today at its debriefing sessions with: the Ethiopian Ministry of Health; the WHO Representative to Ethiopia; and the UNICEF Representative to Ethiopia. The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has thus become 42nd country in the world to have validated the elimination of Maternal and Neonatal tetanus.

Ethiopia began accelerated Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination (MNTE) efforts in 1999. In 2011, all the regions in the country except the Somali Region were validated for MNTE. The 2011 validation mission made recommendations that would see the Somali Region progress to MNTE over time. The recommendations were implemented especially corrective vaccination campaigns against tetanus in 2016. The administrative, as well as post-campaign survey data, revealed more than 85% coverage in each of the 9 zones of Ethiopia Somali Region. The Joint validation mission reviewed these and other related data during the period, 28-30 June 2017, and concluded that maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination had been achieved in the Somali Region and, by extension, in the whole of Ethiopia.

Receiving the good news of the validation of MNTE in Ethiopia, the State Minister of Health, His Excellency Dr. Kebede Worku exclaimed that “The country had worked hard on improving Maternal and Child Health services delivery with tangible results including the record attainment of MDG 4 three years ahead of the target year of 2015. Along with this, MNTE was given emphasis and hence between 1999 and 2009, over 15 million women of reproductive age (WRA) in 59 high-risk zones were immunized during three rounds of Tetanus Toxoid (TT) Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIA). Thus in April 2011, the validation survey concluded that the whole country except Somali region had been validated for MNTE, and now the whole country including Somali region has achieved MNT elimination. This was possible through the efforts and investments made to improve maternal and child health care. The ministry of health will continue to sustain this gain by integrating maternal and child health care services with other public health priorities”.

WHO Representative, Dr. Akpaka A. Kalu, congratulated the country and said that “WHO is grateful for this remarkable result. He added that WHO will continue to support the Ministry to sustain this achievement by prioritizing risk areas for public health interventions that need more support and interventions through specifically targeted strategies with active community involvement to achieve the desired results.” Dr. Kalu also revealed that the integration of vaccine preventable disease with other health programs will be also incorporated in the WHO response strategy.

“I would like to extend my warm congratulations to the Ministry of Health and its partners for this excellent achievement, which benefits the health of women and children,” said Ms. Shalini Bahuguna, Officer in Charge of UNICEF Representative to Ethiopia. “UNICEF will continue to support the government of Ethiopia to sustain this achievement and deliver results for every child” she added.

Zones were selected following an in-depth review of the risk factors for maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) using the high-risk approach. Clean delivery and cord care practices, reaching all women of reproductive age in high-risk districts through TT SIAs and immunization of pregnant women during routine immunization and conducting neonatal surveillance as it is a hidden disease, are some of the interventions that helped to achieve this remarkable result.

It is acknowledged that the validation of MNTE in Ethiopia is not an end in itself but the beginning of a new phase of interventions focused on sustaining the attainment of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus elimination status, an endeavour that is possible only through: maintaining tetanus protection level at above 80 percent in every zone especially in the zones that achieved elimination through Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIAs); strengthening partnerships for improving Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) activities; and  implementing the sustainability plan of action-2014 which incorporates a  switch from Tetanus Toxoid (TT) to Tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine, and annual joint review of national MNT risk status to guide the interventions.

Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 

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Temperature changes make it easier for malaria to climb the Ethiopian highlands

The highlands of Ethiopia are home to the majority of the country's population, the cooler climate serving as a natural buffer against malaria transmission. New data now show that increasing temperatures over the past 35 years are eroding this buffer, allowing conditions more favourable for malaria to begin climbing into highland areas.

That is the conclusion of a new study by researchers from the University of Maine and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University in New York.

Malaria is a climate sensitive disease, and while the biology of malaria transmission is complex, sufficiently low air temperatures inhibit the development of the malaria parasites that cause the disease.

Dr. Bradfield Lyon, a research professor at the University of Maine and lead author on the study, indicates "Air temperatures below approximately 18°C and 15°C, respectively, effectively stop the development of the Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax parasites responsible for the majority of malaria cases in Ethiopia." Low temperatures also impede the development rates and population density of the Anopheles mosquito, which transmits the disease.

"While locations of sufficiently high elevation have temperatures below these thresholds, our research examined how these "threshold elevations" have been changing with time across the highlands."

The study, published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters, utilized a newly developed national temperature dataset for Ethiopia, which combines hundreds of surface station observations with climate model output that incorporates satellite data and other information. The new dataset provides a detailed view of maximum and minimum temperatures across Ethiopia going back to 1981.

The study identified statistically significant increases in elevation for both the 18°C and 15°C thresholds in highland areas between 1981 and 2014. "The elevation at which the temperature thresholds are met has risen by more than 100 meters since 1981. While a 100 meter increase may appear modest, we estimate that more than six million people currently live in areas with statistically significant increases in threshold temperature."

The researchers point out that exceeding the minimum temperature thresholds necessary for malaria transmission does not in itself point to an increase in the prevalence of malaria.

"While the dynamics of malaria transmission are complicated and control efforts may significantly limit the impact of these temperature changes, our study shows a clear softening of the climate barrier to transmission in the Ethiopian highlands, potentially putting more people at risk," said study co-author Dr. Madeleine Thomson, a senior research scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society.

"Until quite recently, undertaking this type of study was not possible owing to a lack of quality controlled and sufficiently high spatial resolution climate data," said Lyon. "These new data allow us to examine the climate of the highlands in much more detail and confirm some of the anticipated changes of a warming Earth." Read more here

India likely to vote for Ethiopian candidate in WHO Director General elections

India likely to vote in favour of Ethiopia’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the upcoming election of the next Director General of global public health body World Health Organization.

The crucial election will decide the fate of the public health body which has suffered after gross mishandling of the Ebola outbreak, where WHO was too slow and ineffective to respond the outbreak, leading to 11,000 preventable deaths.

After closed door sessions at the WHO Executive Board meeting in January, WHO released names of three director-general nominees: Ethiopia’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Pakistan’s Sania Nishtar, and Britain’s David Nabarro.

Dr. Ghebreyesus is the former foreign affairs and health minister, Ethiopia. David Nabarro, was the special advisor to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on sustainable development, United Kingdom and third candidate Dr. Nishtar is the former health minister of Pakistan.

The WHO DG election is an important geo-political race as it comes at a time when there is concern over slashing of global aid and multilateral funding. According to a article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), the Ebola epidemic brought ‘unprecedented attention’ to the WHO and its deficiencies- and the “fundamental challenges in terms of structure, governance and prioritisation of political considerations”.

“India has been in support of the Ethiopian candidate for a while. It helps that Dr. Tedros has been coming toIndia and has a good relationship with Indian counterparts,” said a source in the health ministry on the condition of anonymity. This has been confirmed by a second source.

While the Pakistani candidate is most suitable in terms of her understanding of the health challenges in the sub-continent, tensions along the Line of Control between India and Pakistan has made it unlikely that India will vote for Dr Nishtar.

The WHO DG is selected by a secret, one-country one-vote system. This will be the first time the election of WHO DG will be open to all 194 member states instead of just the executive board. The contest is being closely followed by the global public health community has Margaret Chan’s successor will face tough challenges to maintain WHO’s leadership with shrinking funds and political commitment.

At the Seventieth World Health Assembly, Member States will vote in a new Director-General, who will take office on 1 July 2017. Read more here

ISRAELI HOSPITAL RESTORES FACE OF BOY MAULED BY HYENA IN ETHIOPIA

Doctors at western Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya have successfully treated a seven- year-old boy from Ethiopia whose head and face were severely mauled by a wild spotted hyena.

Brought to Israel and treated here for humanitarian reasons, he has recovered and his functional and cosmetic outcome is “acceptable,” the doctors stated.

The unusual case was presented in the latest issue of Israel Medical Association Journal by doctors Ido Lavee, Rojjer Najjar, Patrick Ben-Meir, Eyal Sela, Yanir Kassif and Omri Emodi.

The boy’s head was unrecognizable when he arrived in the hospital, where he was treated in the plastic surgery, otolaryngology, ophthalmology and maxillofacial departments. He had barely survived the attack.

“His face was severely mutilated, and he was hospitalized at the Addis Ababa Medial Center for several months. As a unique humanitarian act, this child was transferred to the plastic surgery department at Galilee Medical Center, with the aid of the Israeli Embassy, a Jewish organization in the US, a local Ethiopian church and an Ethiopian Muslim organization.”

He was stable when he reached the Nahariya government hospital, even though he had suffered severe injuries. At the hospital the dead skin on his face was debrided, and his eardrum was saved. His jaw was reconstructed with bone from his rib. The contents of his right eye had to be eviscerated due to severe damage. By the time he was released to return home, his scalp and right eye were completely healed, though he can no longer see with that eye, and his mouth opening was normal. Read more here

Tedros Adhanom One of Three Finalists for WHO Top Position

January 25, 2017 - The World Health Organization announced Wednesday that three finalists are in the running to become the next director-general of the global health agency.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, 51, of Ethiopia, Dr. Sania Nishtar, 53, of Pakistan, and Dr. David Nabarro, 67, of Britain were selected as finalists in the competition to replace Dr. Margaret Chan, whose second term of office ends June 30. Their voting tallies were in that order, sources told STAT.

Knocked out of contention were Dr. Flavia Bustreo, 55, of Italy, a WHO assistant director-general, and France’s Dr. Philippe Douste-Blazy, 64, at one point considered a strong contender for the job.

The election of the global health agency’s eighth director-general will take place in May when its 194 member states convene in Geneva for the WHO’s annual general meeting, the World Health Assembly.

The contenders are vying to take the reins of the UN’s leading health agency, which has been buffeted by criticism in recent years, largely due to its slow response to massive outbreak of Ebola in West Africa in 2014.

Multiple post-mortem reports slammed the WHO’s handling of that crisis and called for an overhaul of the agency, particularly its emergency response capacity. That work is underway with the creation of a health emergencies program.

Dr. Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said whoever wins the role has a big job on his or her hands.
“Under the leadership of one of these candidates, the WHO needs to make the case for greater investment in public health and be fearless in calling out countries that fail to play their part,” Farrar said in a statement.

“This is a time for decisive, inspirational leadership. It’s a chance to start a new chapter in global health. We look forward to hearing more from the shortlisted candidates about how they will provide this leadership in the months remaining before the World Health Assembly.”

Click here to read more on this WHO story.

Fake Egyptian doctor arrested; Fake office run by Ethiopian woman busted

Kuwait: Police learned about a woman claiming to be a doctor in a private clinic injecting patients with medical material without a license. The woman, an Egyptian, was found to have been practicing “medicine” for six months and received a monthly salary. The department added that six residency violators were arrested along with a woman claiming to be a cosmetologist, three nurses working without licenses, a receptionist and a cleaner with article 22 residency.

Fake office busted
Residency detectives busted a bogus domestic help office run by an Ethiopian woman who harbored absconding domestic helpers, then sent them to work for daily wages. In a second raid, another similar office run by an Asian was busted. Police found nine Sri Lankan workers and an Indian with a child.

Traffic campaign
The traffic department’s technical testing unit carried out a campaign at Kabd roundabout area, resulting in recording 200 violations. Nine concrete mixers were impounded for dumping their contents, while a car was impounded and its driver was sent for deportation.

‘liquor’ possession
Hawally police arrested an Indian man who had 201 bottles suspected of being liquor. The arrest was made in Jabriya. Read more here

Ending child marriage and FGM in Ethiopia

A group of unmarried adolescent girls participating in the Integrated Programme on Prevention of Child Marriage and FGM. © UNFPA Ethiopia / Abraham Gelaw

AFAMBO, Afar Region, Ethiopia – Fatuma Ahmed was married off when she was just 13 years old, in 2011. Like most girls from the remote Afar Region of Ethiopia, she had undergone female genital mutilation(FGM) when she was only a baby, and it was expected that her scars would open up during her wedding night.

Unusually, they did not open. Then she became pregnant. When she delivered her baby, the scar tissue had to be cut open – an excruciating experience that continues to haunt her.

Fatuma also suffered complications after the birth, a dangerous time for any new mother, especially for girls who endure pregnancy before their bodies are ready for it. To make matters worse, her husband deserted her.

Yet she refused to despair. She raised her daughter as a single mom and, with the support of her parents, continued her education. She has now completed eighth grade – not an easy feat, given her situation. And her resolve has strengthened thanks to a girls’ empowerment programme that started in her area almost four years ago.

It is the determination of the new generation, like Fatuma, and the commitment of partners in the effort to end these harmful practices that will eventually consign them to history.

Fighting child marriage and FGM in Afambo

Mohammed Dilani is Head of the Afambo District Justice Office. He is coordinating the legal aspects of an integrated programme on the prevention of child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) in the district.

The programme, which is being supported by UNFPA through funding from the UN Association in Sweden, is approaching its fourth year of implementation in the Afar Region. Almost US$800,000 has been made available thus far for implementing the programme.

The Afambo District Women and Children’s Affairs Office is coordinating the intervention with a committee made up of representatives from the district administration, religious and clan leaders, school administrations and parent-teacher associations. This collaboration is replicated at the community level, at which influential people including traditional birth attendants, ex-circumcisers (FGM related), and Health Extension Workers (community health workers) are involved. 

In remote and rural regions such as Afar, infringements against the rights of girls are still ongoing, Mr. Dilani says. Here, communities rely on traditional arbitration and conflict resolution methods, with many cases being settled outside the court system. 

The Afar Region has not yet adopted a Family Law suited to the realities of the region, though efforts are underway. This is why it is difficult to press charges against the perpetrators of child marriage. Law enforcement bodies that have attempted to use the Federal Family Law to breach this gap are being challenged, with those opposed saying it does not reflect the cultural and religious conditions of the Afar Region.

When it comes to FGM, there are religious leaders who assert that Sunna – the clipping of the clitoris – should be tolerated as an alternative ritual to the more severe forms of FGM. But the region’s penal code prohibits FGM in all forms.

In an effort to raise awareness in communities about provisions of the law relating to child marriage, FGM, and gender-based violence, and the legal consequences for violations, legal literacy is conducted from time to time in each locality that implements the programme. This initiative is being overseen by a ‘Justice Coalition’ – composed of the Justice Office, the Women and Children’s Affairs Office, the courts, the police, security officials and the District Prosecutor’s Office.  

“We provide legal literacy orientation twice a year on the basis of an annual work plan we developed,” says Mr. Dilani.  

The legal literacy initiative helps reinforce awareness that child marriage and FGM as practices are universally not acceptable and that they are against the law, as they infringe on the human rights of girls.

Thanks to the legal literacy initiative, communities are increasingly accepting that child marriage and FGM are legal violations. More reports of cases are being brought to the attention of law enforcement bodies as a result.  “We are filing charges in court to deal with perpetrators,” says Mr. Dilani.  

The significant progress on integrated abandonment of child marriage and FGM becomes clear when seen against the backdrop of the deep-rooted customs and traditions amid which they are being implemented.

Three areas where the programme is being implemented in the Afambo District have recently declared publicly their abandonment of the two harmful practices. The programme has also been scaled up to the district of Abala, where it is being implemented in 13 areas.

“The task is onerous but change is surely coming,” says Mr. Dilani. This adds to his determination to keep on with the task at hand. ­ Read more here

By Abraham Gelaw

Ethiopia Weekly Humanitarian Bulletin, 07 November 2016

Key Issues

• Humanitarian Partners supporting Somali Regional Health Bureau response to AWD
• A New Drought has started in south eastern parts of Ethiopia
• Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to provide livelihood support to refugees and host community in Gambella

Drought exacerbated by El Niño, combined with extensive flooding, disease outbreaks and the disruption of basic public services, continue to have a negative impact on the lives and livelihoods of 9.7 million Ethiopians. Urgent funding gaps for the response remain across multiple sectors to the end of 2016, notably for response to Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD), for interventions in animal health and food assistance. Major funding requirements to address huge humanitarian recovery needs and the impact of a La Nina and negative Indian Ocean Dipole induced drought are anticipated for early 2017, notably.

Humanitarian Partners Support Somali Regional Health Bureau Response to AWD

In the wake of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) situation in Somali region, a command post has been established to coordinate various pillars of activities: surveillance, case management, social mobilization, WaSH and logistics. One of first steps currently ongoing is stakeholders mapping and updating of the AWD Response Plan document; 6 woredas of Fafan zone are currently affected by AWD. Additionally, combination of the outbreak and water shortage in some areas of Doollo (1 woreda), Shabelle (1 woreda), Erer (1 woreda), Sitti (3 woredas), require increased response and resource mobilization. Critical water shortage has been reported in most areas of Somali region.

According to the WaSH Cluster, there is adequate stock of water treatment chemicals and WaSH NFIs at the regional water bureau, and the UNICEF and Save the Children warehouses. Representative of the national WaSH Cluster and the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity are planning a visit to Somali region soon to monitor the response. Additionally, WaSH response in internally displaced people (IDP) sites of Qoloji and AWD affected woredas is ongoing and supplies are closely monitored.

A New Drought has started in Ethiopia

A joint call-around survey conducted by the National Disaster Risk Management Commission and UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has gathered that a new drought caused by failed dyer/hagayya rains is affecting south eastern parts of Ethiopia.

Of the 212 woredas contacted by the survey, 93 woredas anticipate bad meher harvest performance, 47 woredas an average harvest while 72 woredas anticipate a good harvest. In Oromia, 32 woredas anticipate bad harvest, 21 woredas expect an average harvest and 8 woredas a good harvest. For SNNPR, the survey showed 15 woredas facing the possibility of a bad harvest, 12 woredas an average harvest and 19 woredas a good harvest. The Call-around was carried out between 10-20 October 2016.

Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to Provide Livelihood Support to Refugees and Host Community in Gambella

Assessment to the livelihood situation of recent refugees’ influx in Gambella identified that the coverage of livelihood intervention in the refugees’ camp is limited in scope and quantity. FAO is planning to scale up livelihood interventions such as provision of vegetable seeds, to both refugees and host community, provision of improved crop seed to the host community and strengthening of animal health delivery to both refugees and host community in November.

Consensus is reached by partners to conduct comprehensive livelihood assessment involving all implementing partners including UN agencies. Currently, Gambella hosts nearly 71,000 South Sudanese refugees.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs:

To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit http://unocha.org/.

የቀድሞ ፍቅረኛው ላይ አሲድ የደፋው፤ የ18 ዓመት ፅኑ እስራት ተፈረደበት

ባለፈው ዓመት ግንቦት ወር ላይ በዳንግላ ከተማ የቀድሞ ፍቅረኛው ላይ የአሲድ ጥቃት የፈፀመው ሰለሞን በላይ፤ የ18 ዓመት ፅኑ እስራት ተፈረደበት፡፡ የአማራ ክልል የዳንግላ ዞን ከፍተኛ ፍርድ ቤት በትናንትናው ዕለት በዋለው ችሎት ተጎጂዋ መሰረት ንጉሴ በአካል ተገኝታ የጥቃቷን መጠን አስረድታለች፡፡ ምንም እንኳ ጥፋተኛው የፈፀመው ጥቃት በሞትና በእድሜ ልክ እስራት የሚያስቀጣ ቢሆንም ድርጊቱን መፈፀሙን በማመኑና ከዚህ ቀደም የወንጀል ሪከርድ የሌለበት በመሆኑ፣ ፍ/ቤቱ በ18 ዓመት ፅኑ እስራት እንደቀጣው የዳንግላ ከተማ ሴቶች፣ ህፃናትና ሰራተኛና ማህበራዊ ጉዳይ ጽ/ቤት ሀላፊ ወ/ሮ አዛሉ ናደው ለአዲስ አድማስ ገልፀዋል፡፡ 

‹‹ጥፋተኛው ወንጀሉን ከፈፀመበት ዕለት አንስቶ በቁጥጥር ስር የዋለ ሲሆን እኛም በጉዳዩ ላይ ጥብቅ ክትትል ስናደርግ ነበር›› ያሉት ሀላፊዋ፤ ምንም እንኳ በሞትና በእድሜ ልክ እስራት የሚያስቀጣ ወንጀል ቢፈፅምም ፍ/ቤቱ አንዳንድ ነገሮችን ከግምት አስገብቶ የ18 ዓመት እስር መፍረዱ ሌሎችን የሚያስተምር ተገቢ ቅጣት ነው ብለዋል፡፡ ወጣቷ ተጎጂ አሁንም በከፍተኛ ስቃይ ላይ መሆኗን የገለፁት ሀላፊዋ፤ ወቅታዊው የፀጥታ ችግር ትኩረታቸውን ስቦት እንጂ ከዳንግላ ከተማ አስተዳደር፣ ከክልሉና ከባለሀብቶች ጋር በመተባበር ልጅቷ አስቸኳይ የውጭ ህክምና የምታገኝበትን መንገድ ለማፈላለግ እንተጋ ነበር ብለዋል፡፡

ወጣት መሰረት ንጉሴ አዲስ አበባ በሚገኙ በጎ ፈቃደኛ ግለሰቦች ድጋፍ ላለፉት አምስት ወራት የቀለብ፣ የህክምናና የቤት ኪራይ ወጪ ተሸፍኖላት፣ መጠነኛ ህክምና ብታደርግም ጤናዋ መሻሻል ባለመቻሉ ወደ ውጭ አገር ሄዳ ለመታከም እስከ 1 ሚ.ብር መጠየቋን ለአዲስ አድማስ ገልፃለች፡፡ 
ባለፈው ጥቅምት 3 ቀን 2009 ዓ.ም በአዜማን ሆቴል የገቢ ማሰባሰቢያ ፕሮግራም ተዘጋጅቶላት የነበረ ሲሆን በዚህ ዝግጅት ከ200 ሺህ ብር የበለጠ ባለመገኘቱ በአስቸኳይ ወደ ውጭ ሄዳ ለመታከም እንዳልቻለች ገልፃ፤ አሁንም የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ እንዲደርስላት ጥሪ አቅርባለች፡፡
ፍርድ ቤቱ በወንጀለኛው ላይ የሰጠውን ፍርድ በተመለከተ ለአዲስ አድማስ አስተያየቷን የሰጠችው ተጎጂዋ፤ ‹‹በእርግጥ ሞት ወይም የእድሜ ልክ እስራት ይፈረድበት ብለሽ ይግባኝ ጠይቂ ተብዬ ነበር፤ 18 ዓመት ከህሊና ፀፀት ጋር በቂ ነው ብዬ ትቼዋለሁ›› በዋና የምግብ አብሳይነት (Chef) እየሰራች ራሷንና ወላጅ የሌላቸውን ታናናሽ እህቶቿን ታሳድግ እንደነበር ያስታወሰችው መሰረት፤ አሁን በደረሰባት ጉዳት እህቶቿ ያለ ረዳት መቅረታቸውን ጠቅሳ፤ ይህም ሌላ ህመም እንደሆነባት ተናግራለች፡፡ Read more here

WHO begins search for new Director General

By Sola Ogundipe The World Health Organisation, WHO, has set in motion the process of electing a new Director General in to take over from the current Director General, Dr. Margaret Chan, was appointed in 2006 and will complete her second term on 30 June 2017. The new DG will assume office July 1, 2017. In a statement over the weekend, the global health body released the names of six candidates short listed from nominations submitted by the WHO’s 194 member states in the past five months. Four of the proposed candidates are from Europe: Dr Flavia Bustreo (Italy); Professor Philippe Douste-Blazy (France); Dr. David Nabarro (United Kingdom); and Dr. Miklos Szocska from Hungary. 

Others are Dr. Sania Nishtar (Pakistan) and Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus from Ethiopia. Five of the candidates are medical doctors, and four have served as health ministers in their home countries. Nabarro is a special adviser to the United Nations on sustainable development, Bustreo an Assistant Director General at the WHO and Osterholm, a director of the University of Minnesota The Director-General is WHO’s chief technical and administrative officer and oversees WHO’s international health work. On 1-2 November​​, a forum will be held for candidates to present their visions to WHO Member States, and the public, and answer questions from Member States on their candidacy. The forum will be webcast in all UN languages on the WHO website: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. In January 2017, WHO’s Executive Board will draw up a shortlist with a maximum of five candidates. Executive Board members will then interview these candidates and nominate up to three to go forward for consideration by the World Health Assembly in May 2017, when Member States will vote in ​a new Director-General.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/begins-search-new-director-general/

47 African countries agree on plan for malaria-free continent

Medical entomologist and vector biologist at the department of Zoological Sciences of Addis Ababa University Dr Habte Tekie examines a specimen at his laboratory in Addis Ababa on July 25, 2016.
Ethiopian scientists have discovered mosquitoes are repulsed by the smell of chicken, raising hopes for the development of a novel way to prevent a disease that kills hundreds of thousands every year. A team of insect experts led by Professor Habte Tekie at the University of Addis Ababa began their investigation after noticing that mosquitoes bite humans and other animals but stay away from chickens. ( AFP PHOTO)

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- All 47 African member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a new framework on how to deal with malaria on the continent, which still accounts for more than 90 percent of global malaria deaths in 2015, a UN spokesman told reporters here Monday.

"They agreed on specific interventions and actions to reach the goal of a malaria-free Africa," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

Although previous programs have reduced malaria deaths in Africa by 66 percent since the year 2000, the continent still bears the biggest malaria burden, Dujarric said.

The disease struck 190 million people on the continent in 2015 alone, and caused 400,000 deaths, he added.

In addition, more than 800 million people in Africa are still at risk of malaria. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, WHO reassures a firm commitment to eliminate the epidemic from the African continent by 2030, a target that would require an estimated 66 billion U.S. dollars to achieve.

Some of the main challenges to tackle malaria include gaps in access to available prevention methods, the limited number of interventions available and increasing resistance to medicines and insecticides.

At the same time, weak health systems present a very high risk to malaria control and elimination. During the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, malaria control gains were lost in the severely affected countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Read more here

Kenya to back Ethiopia's candidate for WHO director-general

Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (right) and Health CS Cleopa Mailu in Addis Ababa, August 22, 2016 /FILE

Kenya appears to have thrown its weight behind Ethiopia's candidate for the position of executive director of the World Health Organisation.

Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the only African vying to head the WHO.

On Monday, Health CS Cleopa Mailu held private discussions with Tedros in Addis Ababa during the just-ended WHO's regional meeting on implementation of the universal health coverage.

Tedros said if appointed, he will work closely with Kenya to learn how homegrown solutions have transformed healthcare in Kenya and how they can be replicated in the rest of the region.

He also promised to make Africa his priority.

“As the former Minster of Health in Ethiopia he understands the regions diseases burden,” said a statement from Kenya's Ministry of Health.

Mailu told Tedros to help African countries gain more control of their health agenda through domestic financing.

Tedros would be the first African to head the global health body.

In January, the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government endorsed him as the sole candidate from Africa.

While Kenya has not formally endorsed Tedros, it is expected to return the favour to Ethiopia after they supported Kenya's position during the indictment of President Uhuru Kenyatta at ICC.

The two countries also cooperate on many regional infrastructure projects.

A respected malaria researcher, Tedros has received global praise for introducing reforms that have transformed healthcare in Ethiopia, making it a case study for most African countries.

The election is scheduled for May 2017 during the 70th World Health Assembly, with the new Director-General taking office on July 1, 2017.

Tedros remains the favourite but faces stiff competition from Philippe Douste-Blazy, who served as France's Minister of Health and subsequently became Foreign Minister.

Philippe is also the immediate former chairman of Unitaid.

The sole female candidate is Sania Nishtar, Pakistan's former Minister of Health, among several other government portfolios.

She has had a distinguished career as a civil society leader and founded the influential non-governmental organisation Heartfile in 1999.

The Director-General is WHO’s chief technical and administrative officer and oversees policy for WHO’s international health work.

The incumbent, Dr Margaret Chan, was elected in 2006 and will complete her second term on 30 June next year.

A native of Hong Kong, she was nominated by China.

Her tenure has been marked by a series of global health crises —including the 2009 influenza pandemic and the unprecedented outbreak of Ebola in West Africa — that have opened the organisation and Chan herself to criticism. Read more here