WHO Ethiopia EPI Newsletter October 2018

Editorial

This edition provides an update on the major activities of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) that have been carried out during the month of October, 2018.

One of the major activities of the month was the commemoration of the annual World Polio Day celebrated for the 6th time. This year WPD is celebrated on the same event where the Federal Ministry of Health Annual Review Meeting (ARM) was conducted in Mekele city of Tigray region participating more than a half million people.

The other major activities held during the month of October include the EPI quarterly review meeting, Environmental Surveillance review meeting, training conducted for the lab technicians for the newly established environmental site (ES) in Dire Dawa.

The EPI team also bids a farewell to one of its staff which is separated from the organization because of the polio ramp down process.

We take this opportunity as usual to express our sincere gratitude to our donors and partners that are working together to support the Government of Ethiopia in achieving its immunization and broader child health targets: Gates Foundation, USAID, CDC, Rotary, UNICEF, GAVI, Clinton Health Access Initiative, CORE Group, JSI/L10K, JSI-UIFHS, and PATH.

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Inside This Issue

1.Bold step to end polio: EPI partners gathered at Mekele for the six annual World Polio Day
2.The WHO EPI Quarter Review meeting conducted
3.The Environmental Surveillance Quarterly Review Meeting and Training Conducted
4.The EPI team and WCO staff bid a farewell to Yohanes Ababu
5. A Warm Welcome to Mr Wondimu Ayana, Data technical Analysis and Information Officer

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The EPI team and WCO staff bid a farewell to Yohannes Ababu

Yohanes Ababu speaking during the farewell event

We would like to take this opportunity to accord a warm goodbye to our colleague Mr Yohannes Ababu who left WHO Ethiopia at the end of October 2018. Yohanes Ababu has been in WHO since 2008. He was working as social mobilization and communications Officer for the EPI program. Since that time he was supporting the communications and social mobilization activities of the EPI program. He was also one of the active members in the communications working group in the Ministry of health at federal level. We would like to take this opportunity to say him thank you for all his contribution and support on behalf of the WHO EPI team as well as the communications working group.

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Bold step to end polio: EPI partners gathered at Mekele for the six annual World Polio Day

Dr Paul Mainuka, WHO Representative a.i. delivering a keynote adress on the 2018 WPD comemmoration

Ethiopia celebrated the World Polio Day (WPD) for the 6th time on 24th October 2018. This year world polio day was celebrated while the Federal Ministry of health held its 2oth annual review meeting (ARM) in Mekele city of Tigray region. The theme for 2018 WPD celebration was “Bold step to end polio”.

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The WHO EPI Quarter Review meeting conducted

EPI Quarter Review meeting participants group photo

The EPI quarterly review meeting was conducted from October 08 to 09, 2018 in Adama. The review meeting was aimed to review progress made against planned activities and achievements during the quarter as well as to identify core challenges and the way forwards to tackle them.

Dr Paul Mainuka, WHO Ethiopia Representative a.i. who delivered a key note address urged that “The recommendations of the compressive EPI and Surveillance review conducted recently needs to be implemented and requires support by all partners to ensure that weaknesses identified are strengthened and achievements maintained.

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The Environmental Surveillance Quarterly Review Meeting and Training Conducted

Environmental Surveilance review meeting participants

Review Meeting: Ethiopia has been implementing environmental surveillance in three sites in Addis Ababa and Jigjiga Town of Somali region since Feb. 2017. The first environmental surveillance (ES) quarterly review meeting was conducted on October 10, 2018 in Adama. The meeting was attended by participants from Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), WHO IST, central and field team, and Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Officers from the regions implementing ES which include Somali and Addis Ababa. Dire Dawa City Administration has also attended as it is to start implementation by mid-November, 2018.

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A warm welcome to Mr Wondimu Ayana, Data Technical Analysis and Information Officer

Mr Wondimu Ayana, Data thecnical analysis and information Officer

We would like to take this opportunity to accord a warm welcome to Mr Wondimu Bekele, a newly appointed EPI Data Quality Improvement Officer of WHO Ethiopia EPI unit. Mr Bekele took over his new position in Ethiopia as of 22nd October 2018. Mr Wondimu has been working as SSA in Afar Region as Data Manager.

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World Health Organization - Ethiopia Country Office, Menelik Avenue, UNECA Compound, Zambezi Bldg, First Floor (EW) P.O. Box 3069, Addis Ababa

Technical Contact: Dr Pamela Mitula EPI and MCH Coordinator of WHO Ethiopia, Email: mitulap@who.int
Media Contact: Selamawit Yilma, EPI Communications Officer, Email: yilmas@who.int