Embassies in London and Washington D.C jointly facilitate the mobilisation and transfer of medical equipment donated by the Ethio-American Doctors Group (EADG)

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• On 7 April, the Embassy launched an urgent appeal to combat the spread of the Coronavirus in Ethiopia, calling on the Ethiopian community and Friends of Ethiopia in the UK to give urgently.
• Donors are able to contribute financial and material resources, as well as volunteer their skills and time to institutions engaged in the Coronavirus response in Ethiopia.
• The Ethiopian Government’s COVID-19 National Resource Mobilisation Initiative has been galvanising domestic and external resources to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the people of Ethiopia against the existential threat of the Coronavirus.

On Friday 29 May, the Embassy received material donations worth £40,781 from the Ethio-American Doctors Group (EADG) in an official handover ceremony at the University of Southampton.

In heeding the call for donations made in the Embassy’s urgent appeal seven weeks ago, the EADG mobilised its membership to procure lifesaving medical equipment to bolster the Coronavirus response in Ethiopia. This donation, which was mobilised and supported jointly with the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington D.C, will see the handing over of 135 powered air purifying respirators (PAPR) complete with 285 hoods to authorities in Ethiopia. The equipment is currently being transported to Ethiopia courtesy of Ethiopian Airlines, who have continued to play a pivotal role in providing cargo services for medical equipment and essential goods to destinations across the world.

In his remarks at the ceremony, Mr Ababi Demissie (Amb.), Charge d’Affaires said:

“The EADG heeded the call of the National Appeal, mobilising its members and medical professionals across the world to support the nation and the Government’s endeavours… on behalf of the Government of Ethiopia and the Embassy, I wish to congratulate and thank them for their unreserved efforts to assist Ethiopia at this difficult and dangerous juncture in our history. Their contribution will save lives!”

Alongside this critical material contribution, the EADG has also been engaged in remote skills exchange activities aimed at scaling up capacity within the healthcare sector in Ethiopia. This has included a webinar series connecting Ethiopian medical professionals with healthcare specialists involved in the COVID-19 response abroad and a free mentoring programme facilitating the transfer of knowledge to critical care and anaesthesia specialists in Ethiopia.

These contributions have complemented similar initiatives by Ethiopian medical professionals based in the UK who have contributed their knowledge and experience to a series of media discussions aimed at creating greater public awareness of the Coronavirus in Ethiopia.

In addition, the Embassy wishes to recognise Mr Andualem Mulugeta Bekele, the owner of the Entoto Lodge in Ethiopia, who, in response to the Embassy’s appeal, pledged the property to the National Resource Mobilisation Committee. His foregoing of 2 months’ worth of revenue, equating to roughly £45,000, is illustrative of the kind of courageous personal sacrifices it will take for us to overcome this threat.

Finally, the Embassy wholeheartedly thanks and applauds the EADG, all other medical professionals and members of the Diaspora who have joined hands with us at this critical time to contribute to these efforts.

For ways to contribute, visit the appeal page on our website here.

Together, we will prevail!

–ENDS–

For further details contact our Diaspora Affairs team on 07367 109 262 | 07939 956 086 | 07460 783 929

For press or media enquiries contact press@ethioembassy.org.uk or 020 7838 3883

For daily updates, follow the Embassy across social media @EthioEmbassyUK

Background

On Friday, 13^th March 2020, Ethiopia confirmed its first case of COVID-19. At the time of publishing there have now been:

• 1257 confirmed cases
• 217 recovered
• 12 deaths

Daily updates are being provided by the Ministry of Health via social media as well as the Ethiopian COVID-19 monitoring platform at www.covid19.et.

The Ethio-American Doctors Group (EADG)

The EADG is a consortium of over 300 physicians and more than 50 allied healthcare professionals of Ethiopian origin in the Diaspora which was established in May 2011 to develop and deliver high-quality medical care, through education and research, for the people of Ethiopia, Africa and beyond.

Construction is currently underway on the EADG’s first project aimed at establishing an internationally accredited tertiary hospital and centre of excellence in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.