New joint project - Bring penicillin to ethiopian children - a joint endavour -

Report from Etiopia-Witten Cardiology Group

Author: Dr. Gabriele Wehr MD Internist/Cardiologist from Stuttgart - Germany

Our Stay in Addis Abeba and Etiopia-Witten German Week in Mekelle 1.3.2017 until 11.3.2017

This year the German Week and the days in Addis were under the title: „Program against Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD)“.

The RHD is a severe heart disease in the young adulthood; very often a heart operation is needed. This disease is in Ethiopia 100% fatal. The origin of the disease is a bacterial sore throat infection, which is easily treatable with penicillin

The first days we had a meeting in Addis Abeba with the representative of WHO, Dr. Abebaya. The RHD is very high up on the agenda of the WHO in Geneva . The WHO is interested in our work and wants to facilitate the program. They could organize a workshop to raise the awareness of the disease and for fund raising. Dr. Abebaya wants to take our information to the WHO in Geneva.

The Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) is also interested in our work. The Ministry wants to intensive teaching programs against Diabetes, Hypertension and RHD. The FMOH supports in the moment efforts to increase the knowledge of the bigger hospitals, therefor our program, which has the key point on teaching and awareness raising in the province is a good combination.

The core of our program is improvement of the health professionals about RHD and the treatment with penicillin. A second point is raising the awareness of the parents, the teachers and the public with the aim, that all ill children will get appropriate treatment.

Key point: Bring penicillin to the children.