EPHA Partakes at the Continental Health Conference Organized by US Doctors for Africa and People to People in AU

The Ethiopian Public Health Association (EPHA) entrusted twenty-five of its members to the continental conference held in the African Union Conference Center from May 21-23, 2014 where delegates represented by EPHA reflected professional and scientific views in response to the 21st century health challenges of the continent of Arica.

Officially opened by the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, His Excellency Dr Mulatu Teshome and the Secretary General of African Union, the conference deliberated on major public health agendas of the continent dealing towards mobilizing efforts for the health sector development of Africa through triangulation among government, Diaspora and non-governmental organizations.

Such a triangulation effort was caused by the main reason to tackle emerging and traditional public health problems in Africa those including infectious disease, non-communicable diseases maternal and child health issues.

To result in successful health sector development, African governments are responsible to enable the environment attractive for public health investment and the Diaspora group and non-governmental organizations are expected to support governments initiative in order to reduce over expectation and unnecessary burden on governments.

It was said that African natives Diaspora in Europe and North America are surprisingly large in number and are engaged in different professional services. These people are equipped with special skill that can benefit their continent; hence it was underscored that it is a high time to pool these rich resource to respond to African health problems.

Special health care service for the African people in the form of Tele -medicine, mobile clinic and skill transfer were suggested to be initiated as the most practical methods in saving the lives of the poor African people.

Lastly US Doctors for Africa, People to People and different delegates represented from various organizations came together and formed a Pan African Health Care Association which is responsible to improve the well-being of the people of the continent.

EPHA Raises Climate Change as a Matter of Public Health Agenda

EPHA has raised climate change as one of the most identified public health agenda and priority focus area for its future interventions. This was said at a research capacity building workshop held in Addis Ababa on the prime global topic of climate change with special attention to climate variability and changes and implications for malaria control and elimination in Africa, from April 28 to 30, 2014 at the Siyonat hotel.

The primary objectives of the workshop were to showcase available information and tools to support the research community to explore the impact of climate variability and change on malaria prevalence and to elicit discussion on current needs and recommendations for improved decision-making.

EPHA Formed Chapter for the Addis Ababa City Administration

The Ethiopian Public Health Association (EPHA) established new chapter for the Addis Ababa City Administration, initially with participants drawn from the public and private health institutions working in the city and the Addis Ababa Health Bureau.

This was taken place during a training on Leadership and Communication that was lasted from 27 to 28 of March 2014 at Elille hotel, Addis Ababa. The training was taken as a good opportunity to appropriate conditions for the establishment of the AA chapter with the mandate to strengthen activities towards addressing the public health interest in Addis Ababa.

EPHA Bids Farewell for Outgoing Executive Board Members

EPHA held a farewell reception at the Intercontinental hotel, Addis Ababa on April 14,2014 to honor the three outgoing executive board members namely Dr Tewabech Bishaw (president), Dr Assefa Sime and Sr Werkinesh Kereta who ended their terms of office in March 2014.

The immediate successor of Dr Tewabech Bishaw as the president of EPHA, Dr Filimona Bisrat acknowledged three of the outgoing board members for their hardworking and unyielding commitment demonstrated over the course of years where they had led EPHA increasing its active role and involvements in the health sector development of the nation and beyond. Dr Filimona said, Your tenure has been blessed with unprecedented result in the public health sector. we have seen you all reaffirming your commitment to public health development of the nation through EPHA during the years we worked together.