ETHIOPIA

Activity

2014-2016: National Planning - In 2014, the Ministry of Health of the Fedetral Democratic Republc of Ethiopia requested WHO's assistance in developing a National Knowledge Management Strategy. Phi Manager Chris Zielinski undertook the task, working with Dr Tedla Giorgis, Special Adivsor to the Minister of Health. This activity involved drafting a strategic framework covering knowledge managment within the Ministry (including all its branches, associated institutions and affiliates at central level and in Ethiopia's provinces), as well as in the Ethiopian health sector at large - and thus both an organizational and a sectoral strategy. At that time, no other country had such a national strategy.

Strategy work continued thruoughout 2015, including a Stakeholders' Meeting. The strategy was finalized, a fully costed Road Map was developed, and implementation was subsequently supported by the World Bank.

Between 2008 and 2012, Phi strengthened its links and activities with librarians and information professionals in both the UK and different parts of Ethiopia. We supported the development of a Library Skills module within a new MSc in Advanced Clinical & Laboratory Subjects at Gondar University, led by the Tropical Health and Education Trust supported Leicester /Gondar link. 

2012 - benefits of HINARI training in Ethiopia Making a difference: celebrating 10 years of Research4Life is a publication reporting a “series of case studies provid[ing] insights into how access to the results of peer-reviewed research from Research4Life publisher partners is benefiting the health, well-being, ...”

The very first case study from Ethiopia by Mulugeta Bayisa (a practising physiotherapist) owes part of its success to the crucial underpinning work by Phi in exploiting HINARI.  When Phi discovered that Leicester’s Professor Mike Silverman wanted two health information experts from the University to deliver the evidence-based practice module in their M.Sc. training programme for Ethiopian postgraduate students,  Phi alerted him to the existence of highly trained and experienced Ethiopian HINARI trainers. In the event that only one trainer from Leicester was available Phi coordinated the submission of a successful  bid to the BMA humanitarian fund. This funded another experienced UK trainer plus the Head of the Department of Information Studies at Jimma University to support the training led by Leicester’s trainer. 

Information

PARTNERS 

Phi has had a longstanding, informal engagement with the library and information activities of  the Leicester /Gondar Health Link supported by the Tropical Health and Education Trust. In 2008 Phi began strengthening its links and activities with other librarians and information professionals in both the UK and Ethiopia in conjunction with the Health Link.

HIGHLIGHTS OF PAST ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

2010 April/May: Visit to UK - Phi hosted two visitors from Ethiopia, Getachew Bayissa, Head, Department of Information Studies at Jimma University and Petros Miskir, Lecturer and Head, Central Medical Library Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, for a professional development programme.

2010: Training visit to Gondar - Arrangements were made by Phi to enable Tatjana Petrinic (Cairns Library, University of Oxford) and Getachew Bayissa (Jimma University) to join Keith Nockels from the Leicester - Gondar Hospital and University Link in running a workshop to provide HINARI and informatics training to Masters students at Gondar University. She says of her experience, "I realised how much librarian tutors could offer at the health care front line in resource poor countries.”Read more.

Professor Mike Silverman (Leicester-Gondar Link), was also very pleased with the results. "By all accounts (direct and indirect) the first module of the new MSc programme in Gondar which was led by Keith was a great success.  I have had nothing but praise from all quarters. ... Many thanks for your help and efficiency in the development of this module."

2009 August: Workshop at Jimma University - A health information literacy workshop was hosted and led by Jimma University. The workshop brought together twenty two professionals including health librarians, health information professionals and health professionals, journalists, media presenters, non-governmental organisations, HIFA2015 (Healthcare Information for All by 2015) members and other representatives from all over Ethiopia for a ‘train the trainers’ workshop. Two external facilitators from Leicester University and Phi  also assisted.

2009: National health links meeting - Getachew Bayissa, a senior information professional contributed to a THET-coordinated national health links meeting in Ethiopia.

2009: Workshop: Public Access to Health Information (PAHI) - The Ethiopian partners assisted and participated in this workshop.