Changing lives through simple operations

One of the most frustrating realities of healthcare in Ethiopia is that so much suffering could be relieved through relatively simple procedures which are just not available. It is estimated that there is currently just one doctor per approximately 100,000 of the population and many of these work in private clinics which few can afford. Those living in remote areas stand little chance of being able to access healthcare which is both a cause of many conditions and the reason why many are left untreated.

This is not the case at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital where lives are being transformed every day. Every year they are able to cure over 1000 women who have sustained horrific birthing injuries, leaving them incontinent. Many are shunned by their family and community because of the offensive smell. All that is needed to relieve the suffering of many of these women is a simple operation - many are able to return home with a smile on their face and dignity restored. During our visit to the Hospital, we were delighted to see that the new Midwifery training college is very near completion. Students will be encouraged to return to their local rural areas as a means of increasing access to maternal healthcare and trained birthing attendants in these remote regions which will help to prevent fistula injuries from occurring in the first place – an exciting move in the effort to eradicate fistula from Ethiopia once and for all.

Since our last post, we have also visited the Menagesha Home on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. This is a rehabilitation centre for children who are unable to walk, often as a result of contracting polio at a young age. They receive corrective surgery and intensive physiotherapy and walking aids where necessary, the aim being that each child be able to walk home. We were treated to an afternoon’s entertainment with the children performing traditional Ethiopian song and dance and we were shown the arts and crafts which they are encouraged to learn also. It is an extremely happy place which is remarkable given the considerable pain that many of the children are in due to their treatment. The on-site workshop is currently been extended to increase the number of walking aids being made, including prosthetic limbs which the centre has begun to offer to amputees and landmine victims.