Ethiopia Project

Take a look at our work in Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Our flagship project in Ethiopia began in 2006 when former Iasis trustee, Dr Daragh Fahey, a consultant ophthalmologist, visited an ‘eye camp’ in Tigray province led by Dr Fitsum Bekele.

Only a handful of ophthalmologists in Ethiopia base their practice outside Addis Ababa. Dr Fitsum Bekele is based in Mekele – the principal city in Tigray – and has committed his career to making an impact on blindness in Ethiopia, especially locally. However, the number of people requiring cataract surgery and other sight-saving treatments far exceeds the capacity of the local ophthalmic services.

Iasis has become an established supporter of Dr Fitsum’s work at the Fitsum Birhan Hospital. The hospital is at the hub of the eye services within the Tigray region – open and accessible to all, regardless of age, poverty, gender, ethnicity, religion or geographical location.

Together with other non-governmental organisations in the area, we have helped to build the capacity of the unit so that it has become a self-sufficient centre of excellence for eye services. Examples of the many milestones in our journey in Ethiopia are listed below.

Community transport

In 2010, we launched a bus service for the cataract programme to increase the number of patients per carer who could come from remote villages to Mekele for surgery. We also funded a tuktuk to provide safe passage for vulnerable individuals travelling alone from the town to the hospital.

The local surgical team also had the inspired idea of using the bus as a mobile surgery. This enables them to take the medical team and equipment out into distant locations and conduct operations in a sterile environment for nomadic people.

Within just three years, more than 5,000 cataract operations had been made possible thanks to the bus.

Photo of a bus which Iasis purchased for Ethiopia

Specialist Equipment

In 2011, we bought a vitrectomy machine for the Fitsum Birhan Hospital. This highly specialised piece of equipment from Germany is used for aspirating blood clots in the body of an eye.

The machine has been successfully used in urgent situations to save the vision of hundreds of patients.

Surgical superstar

The professional relationship Iasis has built up with Dr Fitsum over time is something we’d like to develop into a new model and replicate in other countries.

Dr Fitsum is typical of the exceptional individuals Iasis works alongside. He is passionate about his speciality and cares deeply about his patients and their eye health. By supporting him, Iasis enables and empowers him to develop his local team and to share his expertise with national and international peers.

Photo of Ethiopian landscape with a winding round heading towards a mountain

Tigray conflict

Since 2020, our project in Mekele has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict in Tigray region. Sadly, health facilities, hospitals and health care personnel have been targeted by militias, resulting in death and the destruction of the health care infrastructure.

We have managed to maintain our friendship and communication with Dr Fitsum and we are monitoring the situation carefully. As soon as it is safe to restart practical support, it is our intention to play a part in the rebuilding of Tigray’s medical infrastructure.

Take a look at some of our efforts in Lebanon

Lebanon project

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Proving medical and emergency aid to people marginalised by conflict, poverty, or remote locations.