Empowering Neonatal Care in Ethiopia

The two-day meeting, held on September 3-4, 2024 in Addis Ababa, was the kick-off meeting of the "Strengthening Neonatology in Ethiopia" project, in collaboration with Doctors with Africa CUAMM, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, the Ethiopian Pediatric Society, and the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health. The meeting was very useful and productive, providing an opportunity to get to know and establish connections with a group of Ethiopian neonatologists.

Italian Embassy in Addis Ababa - Meeting between Corrado Moretti (UENPS President), Gianluca Lista (Member of the UENPS Scientific Board) and Linda Storari, Michela Papotti (CHIESI Foundation) with the Italian Ambassador Agostino Palese.

We were able to plan the main initiatives to be undertaken and the topics to be addressed based on the survey conducted by UENPS in 44 NICUs in Ethiopia. We begin with the real needs of the people and seek ways and solutions to improve the care of newborns.

Special attention will be given to Tigray, with the Shire Hospital, and the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, with the Black Lion Specialized Hospital, where the respective NICUs will be renovated, improved, and equipped. Among other objectives: a major conference in January 2025, where 20 Ethiopian pediatricians will be trained, thanks to the involvement of UENPS neonatologists and the Ethiopian Pediatric Society (EPS).

During the training period, the Ethiopian pediatricians, in turn, will train 125 midwives and nurses in neonatal resuscitation. The expected beneficiaries, thanks to the comprehensive and cross-cutting action, include more than 20,700 women who will receive care and over 3,700 newborns who will be treated in the NICUs of the two hospitals.

Kick-off meeting in Addis Ababa