A few days ago, the Ethiopian government declared a 5-month state of emergency due to the coronavirus. All schools, universities, and restaurants are closed. Large events are prohibited.

Entry requirements have been tightened, and entry by land is no longer possible. Travel within the country is practically impossible. Medical care in Ethiopia was already inadequate before the coronavirus crisis. The health system will continue to be pushed to its limits and overwhelmed by the coronavirus outbreak. Infected people in rural areas in particular will be largely denied access to medical care.

Despite educational measures, awareness of the coronavirus is still very limited. Despite awareness campaigns, knowledge about prevention is still very low. The risk of infection will continue to be much higher than here in Europe. This is due in particular to the social and societal culture in Ethiopia. Large multigenerational families live in very small spaces and under extremely difficult sanitary and hygienic conditions. The population mainly buys food at public markets, where hygiene measures and social distancing are difficult to maintain. Access to clean water is difficult and money for soap and disinfectant is scarce.

Impact on our GO STAR project

Dr. Nadine Diwersy's three-month assignment ended at the end of March 2020. The stricter coronavirus travel restrictions were already noticeable at that time and forced us to organize a special repatriation to Switzerland for her.

After consulting with the Swiss Embassy and on their recommendation, we decided not to send any personnel to Ethiopia for the time being. This is for the protection of the local population, but also for the protection of our staff.

Our GO STAR project continues

Our trauma surgery department at Jimma University Hospital continues to operate despite coronavirus restrictions. The department is headed by two local orthopedic specialists: Dr. Eyueal Ambay as head and his deputy, Dr. Tegenu. Daily operations and patient care are carried out by local specialists in accordance with our quality standards. We also provide the implants, plates, splints, and other surgical consumables required for the operations. This high-quality surgical material is extremely important for the positive healing process and complete recovery of the operated patient.

For the reasons mentioned above, we have had to suspend the training and further education of local doctors and students in trauma surgery by our personnel, as well as coaching in the operating room and in the patient's room, until the coronavirus pandemic has been eliminated. However, we are in contact with local specialists via Skype, telephone, and other digital means.