Project Team Orientation and Cultural Experiences

Research Experiences and Meeting Center Heads and Team

Over the past 2 weeks, I have had the pleasure of meeting and discussing with key stakeholders from the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), National data management center (NDMC) team, Africa Early Childhood Development Center as well as leaders in the Ministry of Health on the depth and breadth of challenges as well as successes around maternal and child health outcomes in Ethiopia. It has truly been motivating and enlightening to see the amount of momentum and government commitment to reducing preventable maternal and neonatal deaths and to connect with experts on missing gaps and areas where further evidence is needed to drive policy.

Above is our daily traditional lunch at EPHI with Dr. Fentabil Getnet (Former Director of NDMC), Dr. Awoke Misganaw (Advisor of NDMC), Dr. Asnake Worku (Current Director of NDMC) and myself. Dr. Misganaw was key to the creation of the NDMC and I had the privilege of talking to them at length about the necessity of a centralized data repository center in improving population health, surveillance and translating evidence to policy particularly across the African continent. This center is one of a kind in Africa and is an African center of excellence.

Disease Monitoring Dashboard at the EPHI showing up-to-date data on key public health indicators across all health facilities in the country (In this case neonatal tetanus mortality). Data is collected directly by health facilities into the DHIS-2 system regularly and is otherwise comprehensive of course with the exception of conflict afflicted areas.

The center has 4 functional units namely: Data repository, Data Analytics and Visualization, Burden of Disease (in collaboration with the IHMJE team in Seattle) and Data to Action team. I connected with various members of each team to get an insight on their specific responsibilities and the synergy between the units. I was very well received by each unit and began working with the Data repository team to access the district-level health facility data as well as conduct qualitative research on the maternal and child health landscape. It has been incredible to be part of this impactful team working on using data to drive change in Ethiopia and specifically for my research improve the wellbeing of pregnant women and newborns.

Cultural Experiences

As a History enthusiast, it has been incredible to experience the culture and vibrancy in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia is the only country in Africa to have never been colonized. In that position, Ethiopia played a key role in helping other African nations achieve independence and facilitate pan-Africanism. Today, it is the headquarters of the African Union, African CDC and a hub for numerous multilateral organisations across the continent. The nation's resilience and cultural pride is well documented in their expansive Museums, cuisine, music, language and religion - all unique and firmly rooted in tradition.

To the left and below - Adwa Museum and monument - commemorating the battle of Adwa which solidified their independence and paying homage to the men and women who fought for their country

Traditional meal - Injera with a variety of vegetables

Lucy - one of the oldest remnants of human ancestors found 3.2million years old and currently at the national museum of Ethiopia