Ethiopia is currently facing a challenging situation with multiple ongoing outbreaks, such as cholera, measles, malaria, and dengue fever. To effectively manage these crises, the Multi-Outbreak Response Incident Management System was activated by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute on March 23, 2023.
Both the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) and the Ministry of Health have developed comprehensive plans to address these outbreaks, emphasizing the crucial need for active involvement from various partners. In response to the ministry's and EPHI’s call to action, the Global One Health Institute (GOHi) is supporting the mobilization of response teams to regions including Tigray, Afar, Oromia and southwest Ethiopia, where active outbreaks of diseases like cholera and malaria are prevalent.
The deployed teams are actively coordinating response efforts within the affected districts and regions, focusing on key areas such as case management, surveillance, data handling and risk communication.
GOHi has acquired and disseminated water treatment chemicals to woredas (districts) affected by the current cholera outbreak. Through the distribution of these essential water treatment chemicals, the team anticipates reaching approximately 37,000 individuals affected by cholera, spanning across 8,000 households. This initiative is specifically targeted at ensuring safe water for drinking and cooking in these impacted areas. This collaborative approach aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the response to these health emergencies.
Funding for this work is supported through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s project” Advancing Ethiopia’s capacity for laboratory, workforce development, surveillance, and emergency management to meet international health regulations requirements”. The objective is to enhance Ethiopia's capacity for effective emergency response, strengthening systems to detect health threats, improving diagnostics capabilities and building a skilled healthcare workforce.