Israeli medical team trains Ethiopian healthcare on newborn care

Addis Ababa, September 18, 2024 (FBC) – An Israeli medical delegation is providing training and guiding for Ethiopia’s local medical staff members in the sphere of neonatal resuscitation.

Comprising doctors and medical staff from Israel through the organization of Neonatology for Africa (NFA), the delegation has been already  giving newborn care training for Ethiopian healthcare professionals at ALERT Comprehensive Hospital in Addis Ababa.

This week-long neonatal resuscitation and newborn care training aimed to reduce infant mortality amongst newborn through training medical staff members in Ethiopia, it was learned.

Speaking at the occasion, Deputy Ambassador of Israel to Ethiopia, Tomer Bar-Lavi said the activity of the medical delegation of Israel highlights the closest collaboration between the two countries in the health sector apart from other areas of thriving bilateral cooperation.

It is one of the four delegations of Israel that is conducting training this week on neonatal resuscitation techniques at saving babies during the first or golden minute of their lives, he added, expressing excitement about this important collaboration.

Recalled that Ethiopia and Israel have a very important historical, cultural and sometimes religious relationships, the Deputy Ambassador stated that currently the two countries have ongoing collaboration in various sectors such as health and agriculture.

Bar-Lavi reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to continue to expand collaboration with Ethiopia even during difficult times.

“We see these high profile doctors and professors here in Ethiopia during this difficult time for Israel. It highlights the importance of the relationship between Ethiopia and Israel. Israel even during tough times is still eager to work in Ethiopia on different sectors including medicine,” the Deputy Ambassador noted.

Neonatology for Africa Chairman, Dr. Meir Ezra Elia on his part reiterated that the training that is being provided by the member of the delegation will capacitate local medical staffs to know the practice and techniques of neonatal resuscitation.

The practice and techniques of neonatal resuscitation prevents infant mortality and morbidity of children, the chairman pointed out.

Emphasizing infant mortality rate is a problem for all over Africa. For instance, he pointed out that Chad saw some 72 deaths per 1,000 live births.

However, Ethiopia is in a much better situation in infant mortality; but the country still needs to work on reducing infant mortality rate, Ezra underlined.

In the case of Ethiopia some “the average death of babies is 32 to 40 per 1,000 live births. But if we compare to Israel 2.5 to 1000 or US it is 5 to 1000, we can do much better and prevent not only mortality of children but also morbidity, disable children because of the problem they had during their birth,” the chairman indicated.

ALERT Comprehensive Specialized Hospital Clinical Service Director, Tsegaye Gebreananya said the training being provided by the delegation is of critical importance for human resource development by building the capacity of medical staff on neonatal resuscitation techniques.

Tsegaye noted that the training would support Ethiopia’s national effort to reduce infant mortality with reducing gaps in the sectors, as called by ENA.

“Such type of collaborative training has a tremendous contribution for attaining goals in reducing the infant mortality rate of the country by filling gaps through providing capacity building activities for the professionals.”