Bishoftu, Oromia -- The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) TB CARE project, implemented by the KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, handed over a newly renovated facility for treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) to Oromia Regional Health Bureau, Bishoftu Hospital today. The new MDR-TB facility is to be one of the centers of excellence for the Oromia Region delivering referral services, consultation, mentorship and supervision to all healthcare providers in the region with MDR-TB patients. Additionally, the facility will deliver practical MDR-TB training for health professionals and facilitate research on MDR-TB in the region. Oromia Regional Health Bureau officials, the Bishoftu mayor, and hospital officials joined USAID representatives at the ribbon-cutting handover ceremony.

The U.S. Government, with funding from USAID and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), provided above $250,000 USD or over five million Ethiopian Birr for the renovation and refurbishment of the MDR-TB center.

The renovated MDR-TB facility has in-patient and outpatient wings. The inpatient sections has a total of six rooms for up to 12 patients at one time: two isolation rooms (for male and female) with self-contained showers and rest rooms, two wards (male and female), and a capacious verandah. The outpatient wing has a total of 13 rooms including examination rooms, laboratory and dispensary room, and two duty rooms with showers. The two wings are connected and adjoin the hospital and has a garden setting to enhance the healing environment.

A USAID health officer, Joshua Karnes, speaks at the handover of the Bishoftu Hospital MDR-TB facility, built and furnished through the project TB CARE supported by the U.S.

KNCV

In Oromia, in addition to Bishoftu, USAID TB CARE cooperated with the Oromia Regional Health Bureau in the renovation of MDR-TB treatment center at Geda/Adama. The model TB clinics also provided professional development training and international exchange to improve diagnosis and treatment, and supported the operations to promote public awareness, provide guidelines and support to health workers, supply respirators, and improve TB infection control services in different facilities.

Ethiopia is among the 17 high MDR-TB burden countries in the world with roughly 3,000 MDR-TB cases annually. Effective MDR-TB prevention through patient management of over 100,00 annual TB cases is one of the most important activities to stop the spread of hard to treat MDR-TB which develops resistance to TB treatments when patients fail to complete the initial TB treatments.

USAID is supporting the Federal Ministry of Health and regional health bureaus in Oromia, Amhara, SNNP, Tigray and two Addis Ababa hospitals (ALERT and St. Peter’s) through several different USAID projects and implementing partners: TB CARE, HEAL-TB, and the Private Health Sector Support Program, to raise awareness of Tuberculosis and MDR-TB, as well as to detect and treat this life-threatening disease. The average yearly investment by USAID with additional PEPFAR support for all these TB programs averages $13 million USD.

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See Also

Press Release Bishoftu Multi Drug Facility 9-28-14 [PDF, 26 kb]

Remarks by USAID Bishoftu Multi Drug Facility  [PDF, 172 kb]

Related Resources

USAID Ethiopia: Global Health Initiative

USAID Ethiopia: President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

USAID Ethiopia: Tuberculosis