UN fund backs water projects to help rural people in Ethiopia, Syria

(June 15, 2007, ENA) - The United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has announced the creation of two new programs designed to improve irrigation for Ethiopian families and to overcome water shortages and create jobs in northeastern Syria, UN News Center reported on Thursday.
Under an agreement signed on Wednesday, more than 60,000 families in Ethiopia are expected to benefit from a $57.7 million project that is financed in part by a $20 million grant from IFAD and a separate $20 million loan from the same agency.
The funds will also be used to promote seed production and to establish home vegetable gardens, mainly for local women.
Hamid Abdoull, IFAD’s program manager for Syria, said the project would help small farmers to manage their resources more sustainably and develop their own small businesses.
World Blood Donation Day being celebrated
(June 14, 2007, ENA) - World Blood Donation Day is being celebrated fourth time across the world with a theme ‘Safe Blood for Safe Motherhood’.
Officials from National Blood Bank of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), Ministry of Health and WHO said at a press conference held here on Thursday.
This year’s theme has been selected with a bid to emphasize mothers and children who are the most vulnerable group of every society, said Dr. Girma Tesfaye, President of the bank.
WHO Ethiopia representative, Dr. Yohannes Kebede said mothers’ death rate each year from diseases related to pregnancy is 673 among 100,000 mothers in Ethiopia.
The aim is to recognize and thank the millions of people around the world who donate their blood on a voluntary, altruistic unpaid basis to help save the lives and improve the health of others, according to WHO.

Yale University, Clinton Foundation develop blueprint for Ethiopian hospitals

(June 14, 2007, ENA) - Researchers at Yale’s Department of Epidemiology and Public Health and staff of the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative recently published and released a document for Ethiopia’s hospitals that is designed to improve their management capacity.
It is intended that the document be used by Ethiopian healthcare professionals from 14 public hospitals, Regional Health Bureaus, and the Federal Ministry of Health trained by Yale University and the EHMI program in order to improve access to, and delivery of, health care services to Ethiopia’s 76 million people.
In a country that spends only six US dollars per person on health care and has extensive acute care needs, Bradley said the hospitals are often the place of last resort for many. Ensuring that they are as productive and efficient as possible is critical.
The Blueprint was edited by Yale’s Program Manager Josh Pashman with input from over 50 people worldwide, including the EHMI program Fellows, Clinton Foundation staff, numerous consultants, Yale faculty, and students from both Yale College and the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health.

UNISA, AAU launch lecture series

(June 14, 2007, ENA) - Africa Union should employ improved working system and further strengthen its coordination among member states to ensure speedy political and social achievements, South African Deputy Ambassador to Ethiopia said.
The ambassador, Sandile Schalk made the remark while presenting a paper was here in the capital on Thursday to the inaugural of a lecture series launched by the Regional Learning Center of the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Ethiopia and Addis Ababa University (AAU).
It was pointed out that the subsequent lectures are , a wider array of discipline, each month a renowned guest speaker will address one facet of the multifarious changes with an approach that is broad-ranging, most compelling and thought provoking.
The audience will consists of academics, members of the public form the government, the diplomatic community and civil society organizations.

AU Peace, Security Council briefed on conclusion of AU/UN technical consultations on Hybrid Operation
( June 14, 2007, ENA) - The African Union Peace and Security Council was briefed on Wednesday on the conclusion of the high-Level AU/UN technical consultations with the government of Sudan on the Hybrid Operation, AU said.
The council welcomed the successful outcome of the consultations and the acceptance by the Sudanese government on the joint proposals on the hybrid operation contained in the report of the UN Secretary – General and the AU Commission Chairperson, the statement sent to Ethiopian News Agency said on Thursday.
The council underlined the urgent need to reenergize the political process and reiterated its full support to the joint AU/UN efforts, through their respective Special Envoys.
The council plans to reconvene shortly to consider the joint report of the AU Commission Chairperson and the UN Secretary-General, with the view to taking the appropriate decision.

Farmers improve livelihoods through irrigation

(June 14, 2007, ENA) - The Nile Basin Initiative Efficient Water Use for Agricultural Production National Project said farmers are able to increase their income using small-scale irrigation and water harvesting scheme.
Project Coordinator, Getaneh Assefa said at a closing of an 11-day regional training on efficient water use here in Addis Ababa on Thursday that the farming community has managed to increase income by using the scheme.
Participants of the conference on their part told the conference that farmers in the country have managed to improve their livelihood since their involvement in the scheme.
Some 36 professionals in the field from Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, the Sudan, Tanzania, Egypt, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda attended the conference.