Background
Since 1974, when Ethiopia's
military leaders seized control of its imperial government and
removed emperor Haile Selassie from power, Ethiopia and its
people, struggling under military leadership, have worked to
achieve a democratic, civilian government and improve its
economy. The onset of severe droughts in the 1970's, 1980's,
1990's and, most recently, in early 2000 have struck
Ethiopia's agriculture-based economy, leading to severe
famines, malnutrition, disease and death. Most Ethiopians live
in rural villages or isolated homesteads with unpaved roads
and little or no access to transportation.
Health Care Crisis
The average life expectancy in
Ethiopia is only 40, with the HIV/AIDS pandemic claiming
millions of lives annually. There is also a generalized lack
of access to health care - the ratio of physicians to patients
is 1:100,000. Hospitals and clinics function with outdated
medical equipment. Textbooks and journals are scarce, and
sanitizing technology and measures are suboptimal. When it
comes to the specific needs of mothers and children, the
picture becomes even bleaker. According to the World Health
Organization, nearly 11% of all Ethiopian mothers and children
die during or shortly after birth. In rural Ethiopia, nearly
90% of all mothers deliver children at home or walk untold
miles to ill-equipped, makeshift clinics.
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Response
For many years, Ingida Asfaw,
MD and Tesfaye Kebede discussed these appalling realities
with many of their Ethiopian colleagues. They found and
shared a common bond of concern for their people, and wanted
to give their time, talent and financial resources to help
alleviate these conditions. In June 1999, Dr. Asfaw and Mr.
Kebede embarked on a labor of love and commitment to bring
together Ethiopian-born medical and nonmedical
professionals, and after four months of cross-country
planning, ENAHPA became a reality that November.
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