Healthcare Training in Eritrea
The country of Eritrea in east Africa has had a difficult history. The United Nations federated Eritrea with Ethiopia in 1952, and then Ethiopia annexed Eritrea ten years later. This precipitated armed resistance that ended with independence from Ethiopia in 1991, confirmed through a referendum in 1993. A subsequent border dispute precipitated further conflict in 1998-2000, which was brought to an end through United Nations intervention to arbitrate drawing of the border. Unfortunately, there is lingering disagreement over a portion of this border. (A detailed chronology is here.)Internally, Eritreans have faced an indefinite delay in putting into effect the democratic constitution that was ratified in 1997. Isaias Afworki, elected president in 1993 by a transitional legislature, remains in office, never having exposed himself to the electoral process laid out in the constitution.
Even as advances toward democracy have remained stalled, Eritrea has made progress on other fronts, notably in the area of healthcare. The two videos below, produced by the Geneva University Hospitals provide some background on the opening of Eritrea's first medical school in 2003. (The videos are parts 1 and 2 of a single narrative.)
Only four years after the medical school was established, Eritrea opened the Orotta Post-Graduate Medical School to train specialists — initially in surgery and pediatrics.
For additional detail concerning Eritrea's efforts to modernize and expand its health system, you can read the Eritrean Ministry of Health's 2006-2010 strategic plan here (MSWord).
posted by Karen Nelson @ 4:15 PM
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