EHMI began at the request of Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebeysus, the Ethiopian Minister of Health, as part of efforts by the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative to expand and improve treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS.
As part of the Yale-Clinton Foundation Fellowship in International Healthcare Management, a team of 20 to 25 experienced mentors from the United States and other countries will spend one year working side-by-side with directors of 10 to 12 public hospitals and health bureaus in Ethiopia. With their Ethiopian partners, this group will identify systemic changes that can improve access to, and delivery of, health care services to the population of 76 million people.
"I am pleased to be working with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and Yale University in this partnership to expand the availability of services and care for people living with HIV/AIDS throughout Ethiopia," said President Clinton. "This joint effort has the potential to strengthen the overall delivery of healthcare in Ethiopia."
President of Yale University Richard C. Levin said, "Yale is pleased to join with the Clinton Foundation and Ethiopia's health care leaders to identify and implement the steps that will improve patient treatment throughout the nation. Yale researchers are eager to add their expertise to an effort that can advance significantly the battle against AIDS in Ethiopia."
"The agreement with the Clinton Foundation is unique because it includes capacity building of the health care system which is very crucial as indicated in the country's strategic plan for health care," said Adhanom Ghebeysus. "We want the Yale-Clinton Foundation mentors to think outside the box, tell us what they see and what they recommend, and then we will consider it. Whatever we do in these hospitals, we will export to other hospitals in Ethiopia."
Elizabeth H. Bradley, professor of public health and director of the project at Yale said, "Dr. Tedros and the Ministry of Health are visionary. They have impressive goals to transform the Ethiopian health care system in the next three to five years and I believe those goals can be achieved."
The Yale team has just returned from Ethiopia, where they completed a full needs assessment. They are now recruiting Fellows to serve as leaders and mentors in this effort.
Since 2002, the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative has been assisting countries in implementing large-scale integrated care, treatment and prevention programs. It partners with 20 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia. Individual governments take the lead and the Foundation provides technical assistance, mobilizes human and financial resources, and facilitates the sharing of best practices across projects. The Foundation also provides access to reduced prices for HIV/AIDS drugs and diagnostics to over of 50 countries.
In addition, in April 2005, the HIV/AIDS Initiative launched pediatric and rural programs. The pediatric program aims to assist countries implement widespread treatment for children living with HIV/AIDS, beginning with a program to donate ARV treatment for 10,000 children in the programs' first year, approximately doubling the number of children on treatment in developing countries outside of Brazil and Thailand. The rural program endeavors to extend access to high-quality care and treatment to people living beyond the reach of traditional healthcare services; in Rwanda, the rural program partners with Partners In Health.
The HIV/AIDS Initiative relies on hundreds of part-time and full-time volunteers. There are presently more than 300 people in developing countries and the U.S. working for the Initiative.
For his leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS, President Clinton has been honored with the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Award for Humanitarian Contributions to the Health of Humankind from the National Foundation for Infectious Disease as well as the 2005 Pasteur Foundation Humanitarian Award.
To contact the Clinton Foundation, please call Joe Cashion at 212-348-8882.