No one left behind
- Where: ASMARA, ERITREA
- What we do: Restoration of Ward D for children 3-15 years old; purchase of forniture and medical equipment, training courses in clown therapy, occupationa therapy and paediatric mechanical ventilation
Title of the project
No one left behind: disability inclusion program for girls and boys in the health sector
Place of Action
Asmara, Eritrea
Description of the context
Children’s health is a major issue in Eritrea, as well as in other developing countries. The main causes of infant mortality (0-5 years old) in Eritrea are: pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and malnutrition, in addition to neonatal causes (infections, premature birth, asphyxia at birth) affecting more than a quarter (27%) of the total children mortality 0-5 years (source: UNICEF).
Eritrea is making a great effort to fight infant mortality, with a reduction of 4% per year over the last decade, thanks to the work done by the Ministry of Health on malaria control, prevention of infectious diseases by vaccination (90% coverage with measles elimination), and improvements in the prevention and treatment of major diseases, which cause infant death.
Annulliamo la Distanza realized important projects for cooperation in the field of Paediatric health care in the past. In 2004 and in 2019, it worked for 1) the rehabilitation of the ER at Orotta Paediatric Hospital in Asmara (the only children’s hospital on Eritrean territory where each year 30,000 children are visited), in collaboration with the Eritrean Ministry of Health, the Hospital Meyer in Florence, the Hospital Carlo Pizzardi of Bologna (in 2019) and with the support of the Tuscany Region 2) the rehabilitation of ward B (0-1 years old) in collaboration with the Eritrean Ministry of Health, the Hospital Meyer in Florence, with the support of the Tuscany Region and private funds. In order to cope with the health problems of the multitude of children residing Eritrea, in agreement with the Ministry of Health and the Orotta Hospital Administration, we decided to intervene with masonry work and supply of medical equipment to rehabilitate the ward D that will host children aged 3-15 years old who presently they are hospitalized in the adult wards of Orotta Hospital.
The project
This project aims at providing a disability inclusion program for girls and boys in the health sector in order not to leave anyone behind. The objectives are: 1. Establishing new professional figures through the development of a clown therapy path 2. Emancipating young people with disabilities, their families and the community through activities to consolidate their ability to live everyday life, promoting an inclusive and accessible environment 3. Creating within the Orotta hospital a ward complying with the minimum accessibility requirements for patients with disabilities and with the capability of responding to pandemics.
Specifically, the following activities will be implemented:
1) Renovating the ward D, Mariani Tosatti, of the Orotta Paediatric Hospital, through the following steps:
-Painting of internal and external walls
-Refurbishment of the floor
-Rehabilitation of the toilets
-Reconstruction of the electrical system
2) Supplying medical equipment and consumable material.
3) Trainings in clown therapy, occupational therapy and Paediatric mechanical ventilation.
The project is funded by the Delegation of the European Union, Otto per Mille of Waldesian Church and private funds.
Achieved results
In this section, the results of the project will be reported.
