TB patient receiving treatment at Alem Ketema, North Shoa, Ethiopia. (Photo: WHO/P. Virot)

ADDIS ABABA – THE Ethiopian Orphans of Aids Foundation (EOAF) is closely working with Ethiopian North America Health Professional Association (ENHAPA), the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative, National Dental Association, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and other prominent organizations in an effort to equip and upgrade new and existing health care centers in Ethiopia.

At the fifth anniversary of the ENHAPA convention held in Silver Spring, Maryland on April 19, 2006, EOAF founder and president, Mr. Euyeal Yoseph gave a presentation to the members of ENHAPA and other attendees on the projects EOAF is engaged in which include the fight against HIV/Aids and other diseases in Ethiopia. He said EOAF is collaborating with various organizations in the procurement and distribution of medical equipment, supplies and educational materials to various health clinics and schools in Ethiopia.

EOAF has procured two containers of medical supplies from various donor organizations. The first container of medical equipment and supplies was shipped on May 11, 2006 to the newly built Nadda and Limmu sahy health care centers in Jimma which is located 335km south west of the capital Addis Ababa. These health care centers have a capacity to serve 377,323 people by providing treatment for HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and offer counseling and preventive education to the community. EOAF also send another container of college books and medical equipment to Jimma University Hospital may 11,2006 2006.

Mr. Yoseph said this is the outcome EOAF’s first collaborative effort and expressed its appreciation to Dr Tedros Adhanhom Minister of health in Ethiopia.Mr. Edward Wood mr Edwin Mechari and Mr. Tom Smolder of the Clinton Foundation & Engineer Sioum Gebeyehu from Ethiopian Knowelege and Technologie Transfer services (EKTTS) for covering the transportation cost to ship these goods and for their assurance to provide continuous support.

EOAF’s president said “in this joint effortWith CHAI and MOH of Ethiopia the short-term goal is to equip about 100 health care centers by the end of 2006. EOAF’s goal is to ship 16 containers of medical equipment and supplies to help 32 more health care centers in different parts of Ethiopia including Somalia, Benishangul, Gambela and Afar regions where the access to health care services is very limited”. The long term goal is to upgrade 2700 health care centers that would tremendously help in improving service availability. These health care centers primarily provide services in women and infant care, HIV/AIDS testing, fistula prescreening, malaria net distribution, tuberculosis treatment, counseling, preventative education and others.

Mission: EOAF’s mission is to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, provide care for orphaned children and improve treatment for
people living with HIV/AIDS and other diseases in Ethiopia.

A container of medical equipment and supplies being loaded in a truck for their shipment to Jimma University

During the months of June and July 2006, members of the International health program, Global Physician Corps and Ethiopian orphan of AIDS foundation (EOAF) will be going to Ethiopia for services and follow-up. Sometime shortly thereafter, a major delivery of two (2) full containers of medical supplies will be delivered to the Jimma Teaching Hospital and two rural health care centers.

In May 2006, these groups, in collaboration with and support from the Clinton Foundation/CHAI & EKTTS, successfully shipped two containers of valuable medical equipment, supplies and books that are collected from various Bay Area health care institutions. The items were inspected by biomedical engineers before they were shipped to their final destination: the Jimma hospital, designated rural health care centers and colleges.

The Global Physician Corps said that the project involved tremendous efforts and time from its members and International Health Program at Touro University, which were spearheaded by the leadership of the EOAF.

Furthermore, the generous funding of the collection & shipping tasks for the RHC’s part of the project, by the Clinton Foundation, made it possible for this team’s first major step towards its goal of construction and upgrading of health centers in Ethiopia. This plan is based on the needs assessment, executed by members of this coalition effort, when the group visited Ethiopia last December.

The group affirms that this project will be on going and it is sending a group of medical teachers and students leaving in June 19, 2006 to provide Volunteer services at the Jimma Teaching Hospital and surrounding Community Health facilities for a month demonstrating the degree of commitment and sense of responsibility of its members, towards the health care of the under-served in the world we live in.

The Global physician Corps and International Health Care Program also expressed their appreciation of the efforts of the EOAF for being instrumental in the establishment of several Health Service developmental programs.

Dental Chairs on use at the Addis Abeba school of dentistry

The New York University School of Dentistry, the largest dental school in the United States, has donated to Ethiopian Medical Schools. Dr. Brian Swann, Co-chair of the National Dental Association (NDA) International Committee and Dr. Michael Alfano, Dean of the NYU School of Dentistry agreed to donate these dental chairs to East African medical schools.

Ethiopian medical schools were picked for this project after Dr. Swann’s encounter with Dr. Beyene Negewo, a retired Ethiopian ambassador to Great Britain, whom he met through Carolyn Nash, a frequent visitor to East Africa. Dr. Negewo pointed out that Ethiopia could highly benefit more than any other country if these dental chairs are donated to its medical schools.

Upon agreeing to donate these dental chairs to Ethiopia, the next course of action was to bring people together who can commit their knowledge and time in facilitating the project. Through Dr. Negewo’s effort a group including: Euyeal Joseph (President of EOAF), Engineer Sioum Gebeyehu (founder of Ethiopia Knowledge Technology Transfer Services), Dr. Abraham Haileamlak (Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health in Jimma University) and Dr. Teshome Yizengaw (former Vice Minister of Education to Ethiopia), was formed.

Also Lynn Swann, gubernatorial candidate for the state of Pennsylvania, introduced Dr. Swann to CSX Railway Corporation who agreed to cover the cost for packaging and shipping all the dental chairs to Djibouti. The Ethiopian Minister of Education took charge in transporting the items to their respective destination in Ethiopia and distribution of the dental chairs to five medical schools thereafter.

The Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, DC acknowledged this effort in a special award ceremony held on April 30, 2006 where certificates of appreciation were handed out to those people
who made this project happen. The meeting was attended by dignitaries including members of the Ethiopian community and business leaders, president and president elect of the National Dental Association and and members of the Clinton Foundation. Ambassador Fesseha Asgedom and Taye Atskeselassie presided over the affair. There was great emphasis made on the need for more collaborative efforts in which the embassy gave its full support for more medical and dental education supplies to reach its people in need.

Special Thanks

EOAF’s heartfelt appreciation goes out to the following organizations for their generous contribution and support:

• Council Member Ken Yeager District Six, CA

• Orchard International, CA
• Valley Medical Hospital, CA
• El Camino Hospital, CA
• John Muir Hospital, CA
• Novato Community Hospital, CA
• Palm Drive Hospital, CA
• Spring Lake Village, CA
• The ReCares Network home care recyclers of Marin county, Oakland, San Francisco, and Petaluma
• Ethiopian Americans Television Net Work (EATV)
• Citizens League of Ethiopian Americans (CLEA)
  Diaspora of Northern America

Ande Family (One Family)
EOAF
391 Jaclin Rd

Milipitas , CA 95035

Phone:
408-594-1360 cell
408-263-6334 office

Fax:
408-261-1910

E-Mail:
[email protected]

EOAF
2150 Main St. #23
Santa Clara, CA 95050

Phone:
408-594-1360

Fax:
408-261-1910

E-Mail:
[email protected]