The Ministry of Education said it will distribute 50 million facemasks to 46,000 primary and secondary schools and 500,000 facemasks will also be distributed to teachers as well as COVID-19 testing thermometers for all schools.
250,000 test kits produced in newly-inaugurated Chinese-built factory – BGI Ethiopia – has supplied the first 250,000 COVID-19 test kits to the Ethiopian Public Health Institute. COVID-19 National Cohort Study launched A one-year COVID-19 National Cohort Study that involves 45 scientists from local universities, international research institutes and foreign universities has been launched at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute.The socioeconomic and psychological impacts of the disease and its impact on pregnancy and children are other objectives of the study.
Ethiopia joined the rest of the world in observing Global Handwashing Day, under the theme “I wash my hands properly to save lives,” aligning with the recently launched global initiative led by WHO and UNICEF – Hand Hygiene for All. The pandemic provides an important reminder that hand hygiene is a fundamental component of health and safety. “Hand washing is a simple, cost effective and yet a very impactful intervention effective way to reduce the communicable disease burden, under-5 mortality, health facility infection and antibiotics resistance,” said Dr Lia Tadesse, Minister of Health. In Ethiopia, it is estimated that 92% of the population lack access to basic handwashing facilities about 80% of whom live in rural settings and are among the most vulnerable groups and more than half are children.