Training of midwives, nurses and specialists in gynecology and obstetrics in Eritrea

A cooperation with the NGO "For Eritrea e.V."

Country: Eritrea
Project management: Michael Runge
Funding amount: 65.000 Euro
Running time: 2014 – 2017
Local project partner: Asmara College of Health Sciences (ACHS), 
Orotta Hospital and Medical School, Asmara
Ministry of Health, Asmara, Eritrea
Sponsor: For Eritrea e.V., Hamburg
materra Stiftung Frau und Gesundheit e.V., Freiburg
Karl-Storz GmbH, Tuttlingen
Contact: Michael Runge

In 2014 the Hamburg NGO “For Eritrea e.V.” became aware of the teaching materials and training curricula in gynecology and obstetrics that we had developed for developing countries. The civil health sector in Eritrea suffered massively from the decades-long war with neighboring Ethiopia, and health care for women and children, especially in rural areas, was at an all-time low. Maternal and child mortality was and is one of the highest on the African continent. In 2014, there were no more than 64 doctors across the country, caring for a population of 3.3 million people.

After two fact-finding visits to Asmara, a memorandum of understanding for the planned training cooperation was signed together with the NGO “For Eritrea”, the ACHS and the Orotta Medical School. In the period that followed, our existing teaching materials were updated and adapted to the special health situation in Eritrea, one of the poorest countries in Africa.

Presentation of the teaching materials in gynecology and obstetrics produced for the Orotta Medical School and the Asmara College of Health Sciences

At the same time, the training curriculum for midwives, anesthesiologists and nurses at the ACHS was revised with the university lecturers there, and we agreed to set up a skills lab for the practical training of these professional groups, which are particularly important for women’s health. It was installed and handed over in 2016 and the university lecturers were instructed daily.

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among younger women in Eritrea and has so far not been diagnosed early or adequately treated. For this reason, we and the Karl-Storz company in Tuttlingen participated in the establishment of a special outpatient clinic and a training program for the early detection of all types of cancer in women.

The first, newly established outpatient clinic for early detection of cervical cancer in Eritrea at the Orotta Training Hospital in Asmara

At the same time, the training curriculum for midwives, anesthesiologists and nurses at the ACHS was revised with the university lecturers there, and we agreed to set up a skills lab for the practical training of these professional groups, which are particularly important for women’s health. It was installed and handed over in 2016 and the university lecturers were instructed daily.

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among younger women in Eritrea and has so far not been diagnosed early or adequately treated. For this reason, we and the Karl-Storz company in Tuttlingen participated in the establishment of a special outpatient clinic and a training program for the early detection of all types of cancer in women.

Contact: Michael Runge

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