Ethiopia

Mother Theresa Care Center: Medical Care for Sick and Destitute Ethiopians (2006-present)

High rates of tuberculosis, congenital deformities of the vertebrae, scoliosis, and polio account for the severe cases of spine disease that JDC has uncovered in children and young adults in Ethiopia. Due to the harsh economic realities in the country and the lack of local medical resources for this condition, these young people are unable to obtain the necessary surgical and medical interventions to correct their conditions. To alleviate this situation, JDC and the Mother Teresa Care Center have launched a joint project to provide quality surgical and medical treatment for orphans in Ethiopia. This project focuses on patients with curable forms of cancer, spine deformities, and osteogenesis imperfecta who are not currently being treated. Patients are treated directly by Medical Director Rick Hodes, referred to Addis Ababa hospitals, or relocated to hospitals outside of Ethiopia where necessary to access appropriate medical care. Chemotherapy drugs are supplied to the treating hospitals at no cost. Dr. Hodes has also developed innovative and unique protocols for the treatment of specific cancers, utilizing drugs that are procured through the JDC that would otherwise not be available to these patients. In addition, funding for the childís education afterwards is provided to allow patients to catch up on what they have lost by years of illness. By providing financial support for these surgeries, JDC gives children the opportunity to lead normal lives. Dr. Hodes was also the inspiration behind a recent donation of over 1,000 pairs of shoes from Jewish schools and organizations in Canada, which JDC staff helped distribute in coordination with Mother Teresaís Missionaries of Charity.

Treatment of Patients with Hodgkin's Disease (2006-present)

Hodgkin's disease is an eminently curable disease. However, even the basic ingredients of MOPP (a therapy regime for Hodgkin's disease) were unavailable. The Hodgkin's program benefits from the donation of medicine from a pharmaceutical company in India that produces a highly effective drug to control chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Care is provided by oncologists at the Tikur Anbessa (Black Lion) University Hospital in Addis Ababa. Poor patients (certified as poor by their local neighborhood associations known as kebeles) are treated for free. Those above that level of poverty are charged about half the price of the drugs. This money goes into a revolving fund, which can be applied to treat other patients in the future, and also helps decrease the dependency on foreign assistance.

To date, the Hodgkin's disease program has provided for 29 people, with a response rate of over eighty per cent. The program has helped the doctors at the university hospital practice modern, first world cancer medicine for the first time, and has helped draw attention to the problem of local cancer treatment.

Potable Water Program (2007-present)

This project seeks to provide a safe and adequate water supply facility, with appropriate technology and reasonable costs, for the villages of Debre Birehan, Jankura, Jura and Grabet. The major goals of the rural water supply program are to improve the health and domestic hygiene of the community by providing clean water for drinking. To achieve this, there is a need to make the local population aware of and understand the relationship between water and health. Health education and gender-based training, therefore, will be an important component in the implementation of this project.

The project needs not only the construction but also a follow-up of its operation and maintenance scheme. Village-level operation and maintenance is suitable for hand-dug wells equipped with Afridrive hand pumps - it can be operated, maintained and repaired by a trained village caretaker. It is also durable, and the cost is reasonably low. Improved water supply and sanitation, coupled with health education, will bring significant change in the community's health and productivity.

Academic and Medical Cooperation: University of Gondar - Ben Gurion University Medical Exchange Program (2005-present)

In 2005, a memorandum of understanding for academic cooperation was signed by JDC and the Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences (GCMHS) of the University of Gondar. The agreement promotes collaboration between Ethiopia and International Academic institutions on activities such as training, clinical and teaching services, research, and community service between the partners. The agreement initiated an "Academic Cooperation Project" to establish a connection between GCMHS and Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). GCMHS lacks experienced staff in post-graduate training and is seeking to cooperate with BGU to exchange information and ideas in order to improve the level of education and medical care in Gondar. BGU will be sending Israeli physicians, including a pediatric surgeon, to GCMHS to provide three weeks of training as well as and surgery for local patients. Additionally, several physicians from the United States have visited GCMHS to provide additional training.