Let us unite with love; surpass in forgiveness! Page 6 Page 11 Page 9 Vol. LXXVI No 200 1 May 2020 - Miazia 23, 2012 Price Birr 5.75 BY DESTA GEBREHIWOTS COVID-19 pandemic has been proven to go far beyond health crisis; it has indiscriminately been impacting various Education at the Crossroads Digital learning on high demand as COVID-19 undermines talk-chalk approach sectors with its ramifications on the education sector urging governments to extend the duration of school closures that have entered solid months now. The global phenomenon is also serving as a stark reminder of the need for shifting towards digital education and e-learning solutions. Schools have been among first public See Education ... Page 3 BY LEULSEGED WORKU According to a report of the World Economic Forum, COVID-19’s impact on Africa could be much worse than in other parts of the world. As the pandemic, COVID-19, spread throughout the world, Why debt cancelation for Africa is not an option economically poorer countries are seriously affected by the effects of the virus—almost all African countries are in this category. As a means to overcome this challenge, African countries need not only get financial See Why debt cancelation ... Page 3 See Lawmakers... Page 2 BY ABDUREZAK MOHAMMED ADDIS ABABA – The House of Peoples’ Representatives passed with sweeping votes a COVID-19 induced resolution yesterday postponing election 2020 schedule as presented by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia. Speaking at the House’s 15 th Regular Session, Board Chairperson Birtukan Midheksa said tasks scheduled for the month of March and April such as voter registration, election executives recruitments, voter education, the distribution of election gadgets, among others, were not able to be executed due to the effects of the pandemic. Further, she said despite the Board’s ardent task to execute the works on time, the efforts come to pause owing to COVID-19 local and global emergence that has brought mobility of people to a halt. The government has also taken measures that included urging most of the public servants to work from homes. Various governments have also canceled elections and other plans, according to her. On top of this, international partners that Lawmakers postpone Election 2020 schedule Gender representation in Ethiopian fine arts “This is a high time to establish the Global Health Security” ‘The Curse’
Transcript
Let us unite with love; surpass in forgiveness!
Page 6Page 11
Page 9
Vol. LXXVI No 200 1 May 2020 - Miazia 23, 2012 Price Birr 5.75
BY DESTA GEBREHIWOTS
COVID-19 pandemic has been proven to go far beyond health crisis; it has indiscriminately been impacting various
Education at the CrossroadsDigital learning on high demand as COVID-19
undermines talk-chalk approach sectors with its ramifications on the education sector urging governments to extend the duration of school closures that have entered solid months now.
The global phenomenon is also serving as
a stark reminder of the need for shifting towards digital education and e-learning solutions.
Schools have been among first public See Education ... Page 3
BY LEULSEGED WORKU
According to a report of the World Economic Forum, COVID-19’s impact on Africa could be much worse than in other parts of the world. As the pandemic, COVID-19, spread throughout the world,
Why debt cancelation for Africa is not an option
economically poorer countries are seriously affected by the effects of the virus—almost all African countries are in this category.
As a means to overcome this challenge, African countries need not only get financial
See Why debt cancelation ... Page 3 See Lawmakers... Page 2
BY ABDUREZAK MOHAMMED
ADDIS ABABA – The House of Peoples’ Representatives passed with sweeping votes a COVID-19 induced resolution yesterday postponing election 2020 schedule as presented by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia.
Speaking at the House’s 15th Regular Session, Board Chairperson Birtukan Midheksa said tasks scheduled for the month of March and April such as voter registration, election executives recruitments, voter education, the distribution of election gadgets, among others, were not able to be executed due to the effects of the pandemic.
Further, she said despite the Board’s ardent task to execute the works on time, the efforts come to pause owing to COVID-19 local and global emergence that has brought mobility of people to a halt.
The government has also taken measures that included urging most of the public servants to work from homes. Various governments have also canceled elections and other plans, according to her.
On top of this, international partners that
Lawmakers postpone Election
2020 schedule
Gender representation in Ethiopian fine arts
“This is a high time to establish the Global Health Security”
‘The Curse’
NewsPAGE 2 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 1 MAY 2020
BY MISGANAW ASNAKE
ADDIS ABABA- The construction of a-13.58 billion Birr Modjo-Hawasa Expressway is progressing well with main asphalt works of the first phase, Modjo- Meki, and the second phase, Meki -Zeway, hitting 88 percent and 81 percent completions respectively.
The two phases stretch 56.4 km. and 37 km. in that order while the total construction is being carried out in four phases.
Speaking to The Ethiopian Herald on phone, the Authority’s Communication Director Samson Wondimu said despite the global challenge owing to COVID-19, the construction of the 202-km. expressway is in good shape taking utmost care to prevent the spread of the virus.
The majority of construction inputs are
Modjo-Hawasa Expressway first-phase main asphalt construction to see finalization by year’s end
available at home while an adequate amount of input has already been imported, he said.
Further, he said the first and second phases of the construction’s main asphalt works that began in 2016 shall see finalizations by end of this year and by come October
respectively. Besides, the third (57 km. Zeway-Arsi Negelle) and fourth (52 km. Arsi Negelle-Hawasa) phases that were commenced in 2018 have seen 8 and 10 percent of completions correspondingly, he added.
The first two phases obtained finance from the African Development Bank and Korean Exim Bank, and the third and fourth phases have been funded by the World Bank and the Chinese Exim Bank.
Regarding challenges, he said right of way tasks caused some hurdles but discussions have been made with respective administrations and residents to do away with the challenges.
Upon completion, the road connects Ethiopia to Kenyan’s port Mombasa, and it is also designated part of the Cairo-Cape Town, Trans-African Highway, which facilitates import-export among African countries. It is also expected to attract investment in the adjacent areas.
The project has so far created 3000 jobs for citizens, Samson said.
BY YESUF ENDRIS
Ethiopians and foreign nationals of Ethiopian origin who live overseas, and particularly those who are in countries that are the current epicenter of the virus are, highly vulnerable to the pandemic, COVID-19.
As fear mounts, Embassies of Ethiopia in Washington and in Riyadh have informed the diaspora communities to be watchful as the pandemic is growing fast.
Alem Teshome, 26, is an Ethiopian who is living in New York, the U.S. He told The Ethiopian Herald that the pandemic is so scary that several Ethiopians are so worried about the virus’ current and protracted effects. “We are staying at home and praying to God. No other option.”
Embassies should continue supplying relevant information to their communities using social media and they should get proper information about the situations of
Ethiopians living under various stressful conditions to quickly respond to their pleas, according to him.
Zebiba Yimer, is Ethiopian Citizen living in Saudi Arabia. According to her, several Ethiopians who are living in her neighborhood are found in areas where there is a threat of the virus.
“Though we are in lockdown, the government (Saudi’s Government) has been giving priority for its citizens.
Undocumented migrant workers could be there, but this is time to prioritize humanity more than anything else.”
Last week, Foreign Minister, Gedu Andargachew, had a Tele Conference with Ethiopian Ambassadors living abroad. During their conversation they have discussed ways of safeguarding Ethiopian citizens living around the epicenters of COVID-19.
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been playing a vital role in his national greening legacy initiative since he took office that enabled the people of Ethiopia to plant 350 million trees within a day, disclosed Abebe Getahun, a Professor in Aquatic Biology at the Department of Zoological Sciences of the Addis Ababa University.
Speaking to The Ethiopian Herald, he said: “Though the previous Ethiopian governments had also attached importance to environmental protection tasks, the incumbent has made millions of Ethiopians to involve themselves in the tree-planting campaign. This is a great achievement for the premier. He should keep up with the good work. ”
Nowadays, the community and society are well aware of the importance of conservation owing to the series of works undertaken in a short time.
He further stressed that unpredictable rainfall and unpredictable temperature increase is felt by the general public all the time. The Ethiopian government is committed to improving the situation which is going from the bad to the worse
from time to time. Above and beyond, the general public has to stand by the side of the government. The people of Ethiopia are working hand in glove with the government.
“What is going on in terms of planting trees across the country should continue every year. As only planting is not enough, we should take care of them to increase the chance of the trees’ survival. Otherwise, we cannot reap the fruit of success. We have to be able to take care of the trees. Recently, the premier has embarked on watering the trees which had been planted in the last August tree planting campaign. It is an exemplary one which deserves respect and appreciation,” he wrapped up.
In a tweet on April 24, 2020, Prime Minister Abiy broke the news of the second round national tree transplantation program as he visited a tree nursery site in Oromia state. The state is preparing 3.5 billion various seedlings and 1.1 coffee seedlings for the program that would run by end of this Ethiopian year. He also appreciated the state for undertaking major works per the national plan.
Supplying info to citizens living overseas
Nat’l greening initiative raises public awareness support the Board have made their staffs
work from homes while some of them retain only a few workers here and took the rest to respective countries, she elaborated.
The Board also made discussions on the matter with the executive branch, senior public health experts of the Ministry of Health, political parties, and international partners in addition to making survey with its consulting experts to lay a strong foundation to the resolution.
She said the Board will come with another schedule when the threat of COVID-19 phased out and conditions become enabling to the tasks.
She also hinted that the Board keeps on works that boost its election execution capacity focusing on those that would not be impacted by the pandemic.
Meanwhile, MPs approved four other loan agreements. And also, the House referred one proclamation for further scrutiny to the concerning standing committee after a long discussion.
Lawmakers...
win in the Entrepreneur category of the year 2019 Pride of Reading Awards, writing: “Tutu always has the community at heart. She has taken the risk and moved her business into Palmer Park, where others have failed.
“To get this recognition from the people of Reading is indeed heartening, and me and my team think very high of it.”
“I feel so privileged to be chosen. I have always driven my business to be connected to the local community bringing into play local dealers for my meat and veg, local bakers for my cakes and local people to build my team.”
A woman who...
NewsPAGE 3THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 1 MAY 2020
institutions that largely come to closures since the early days of the outbreak that triggered strict partial or complete restrictions and lockdowns.
The facilities in some cases are even serving as quarantine and isolation centers.
Reports have been coming out that the pandemic is resulting in an unprecedented social and psychological challenge on children who are staying indoors having no contact with the outside world many of whom remain out of touch with their peers due to school closures.
According to the United Nations’ Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO), currently 90 percent of students are being kept out of educational institutions by the country-wide closures. According to UNESCO, school closures are also significantly affecting students, it could even undermine the right to education.
“While temporary school closures as a result of health and other crises are not new, unfortunately, the global scale and speed of the current educational disruption are unparalleled and, if prolonged, could threaten the right to education, said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, according to the Organization’s official website.
And, the disruptions are being felt by students, teachers, and families, and experts are warning that the pandemic can inflict long-term impact on education sector unless temporary and long-term measures are placed.
Amidst the downsides of the pandemic, countries are moving into more innovative and e-learning solutions which are helping students and teachers to continue the teaching-learning process. The disruption in the delivery of education is also pushing policymakers to see ways and means of maintaining students’ engagement through e-learning solutions.
UNESCO announced that it is supporting the implementation of large-scale distance learning programs and recommending open educational applications and platforms that schools and teachers can use to reach learners remotely.
However, experts in the area argue that developing countries like Ethiopia are finding it hard to continue education due to poor internet and technological infrastructure.
Schools remained closed immediately after the country reported its first case.
Recently, the Ministry of Education set a direction that parents should pay up to 60 percent of monthly school fees; in exchange for demanding schools to provide their students with online teaching. But experts are skeptical about whether infrastructural facilities or educational system would help achieve e-learning in the country.
The five-month state of emergency which the country declared bans gatherings which also affect schools. And, currently, universities are being used as quarantine centers. And there is little hope that education would continue in a country
where digital learning stands very much poor.
“Let alone these days, the education sector has been suffering from infrastructural constraints such as internet and power outages and other tech-related facilities. So, the crisis is adding another layer of problem to the already poor sector,” says Samuel Tefera Alemu (Ph.D.), an Assistant Professor at the Center for African and Oriental Studies and Associate Dean for Research and Technology Transfer, College of Social Sciences, Addis Ababa University.
The socio-economic and psychological impacts of COVID-19 are far from worse. Its ramification is of large-scale that every segment of society is being affected including students, teachers, and the community in general. The structure of schooling and learning including teaching and assessment methodologies was the first to be affected,
Even the tertiary branches of education are shut down completely for not having access to e-learning solutions. “As a teacher, I find it hard to continue in contact with my students after the university came to closure. We barley have access to internet services even to exchange assignments online.”
This is the time to go back to the drawing board to rethink the way education had been delivered and to resort to digital learning. Open sources of digital learning, digital library centers, and the like should be put in place so that teachers can impart lessons online, he points out.
The step to close schools is helpful to contain the spread of the virus as these institutions are a hotspot of transmission. Closing schools is vital to prevent possible spread, while it is even more pivotal that the country is still able to resort to other alternatives means of teachings, says Dr. Mulat Asnake, Director of Continuing and Distance Education Office at Addis Ababa University.
He said: “It is a must that we have the recipes to resume education. All schools do not have the required resources and infrastructure to deliver technology-based teachings.”
Even if institutions have limited resources which are imperative for e-learning, the tendency to use them is very low both by teachers and students. “The fact is that we should exhaustively use every possible option to stay engaged, he adds. Nowadays, from mobile to computer, options for e-learning are plenty. And using existing alternatives and resources is a must-do task to continue education.”
“The fact that the outbreak is unprecedented and its large scale can undermine the teaching-learning process and may have severe impacts on students.”
Staying indoors would inflict significant psychological disorders unless they stay connected with their teachers and fellow students. Keeping on the current move of teaching on a radio, and television transmissions can also be a good option to keep students afresh.
Education at the Crossroads...
supports but debts should also be written off.
In his articles on Bloomberg and Financial Times, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has indicated that debt relief actions and other financial supports to Africa are not options but a must. In his recently published article on Financial Times, the Premier reiterated: “Africa needs an immediate emergency fiscal stimulus worth USD 100 billion in addition to the International Monetary Fund’s already programmed USD 50 billion of regular support to tackle the crisis.” Noting that the ongoing crisis will not be short-lived, Abiy underscored the need to have additional support to Africa over the next two to three years from the International Community. He argued that without a vast restructuring of debt, all the continent’s recent gains will be wiped out. In his article, Abiy argued that debt relief measurement is the right direction towards helping Africa to survive the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Africa will be the most victimized continent because of Corona virus. But, the impact of African economic crisis will directly or indirectly affects the whole world. In this regard, global coordination
and leadership are a must factors to halt the problem at early stage, he argues. African economy is fragile and unpredictable. In this regard, coordinated effort of the global community will help the continent from the already faced problem and COVID-19 related challenges as well. “We can defeat this invisible and vicious adversary — but only with global leadership. Without that, Africa may suffer the worst, yet it will not be the last. We are all in this together, and we must work together to the end.” What seems normal and affordable to other continents is luxury for Africa. Supporting his claim Abiy said, “Ethiopia has made steady progress in the provision of health services over the past two decades. But nothing has prepared us for threats posed by Covid-19. Access to basic health services remains the exception rather than the norm. Even taking such common-sense precautions as washing hands is often an unaffordable luxury to the half of the population who lack access to clean water.” Indeed, debt cancelation is not an option to Africa in times of COVID 19. Combating COVID 19 in Africa is more challenging than any other parts of the world for various reasons. Access to quality health service together with lack of effective professionals makes the fight against the virus more challenging.
Sources indicated that, one-third of Africans cannot wash their hands regularly. This is not because they don`t need to. It is because of absence of clean water. Limited access to broadband connectivity, telework or other opportunities is beyond the grasp of most African countries. Almost all the preventive methods that are followed by international community are difficult and hard to implement in Africa for various reasons. For instance, the social distancing strategy, though effective and successful, is hard for countries like Ethiopia where people eat from same plate and live in a single roof with extended families. The traditional rain fed agriculture is also the other harshest side of African economy. Despite the fact that “Stay-at-home” order is one of the best solutions in fighting the virus, most Africans have no access to refrigerators to store perishable foods or medicines. What is more, scarcity of foreign currency has exacerbated the problem. This is particularly true to buy medical equipment and supplies. As it was mentioned by Dr. Abiy, “Shortage of hard currency will then make it all but impossible to source essential medical supplies and equipment from abroad. The cost of servicing our debts is already often more than our annual health budgets.” As it was indicated by Project Syndicate-
global opinion page- Africa needs an initial 100 billion USD financial support. The sharp decline in commodity price, trade and tourism has hit the continent hard. The corona pandemic has affected Africa directly and indirectly. The tourism and trade sectors which were source of foreign currency are now parallelized. According to Project Syndicate “The average fiscal-support package announced by African governments so far amounts to a meager 0.8% of GDP, one-tenth the level in advanced economies. And, beyond the near term, the continent’s additional financing needs could rise to USD 200 billion.”
The international community should take the lead in creating mechanisms by which sovereign issuers suspend contractual market debt service. New approaches are needed that allow for the flexibility and sustainability of African economies. The most urgent requirement is to suspend debt payments with the plurality of creditors. Indeed, as it was mentioned by World Economic Forum, many African governments have signaled a readiness to respond to the pandemic. But, designing measures that reflect reality, and ensuring its effectiveness is in question. This is due to the reason that most African countries are leading a lifestyle which is difficult to keep social distancing and to “stay-at-home”.
Why debt cancelation...
Media Review
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 1 MAY 2020 PAGE 4
Parliament
A woman who brought a taste of Ethiopia to reading
Ethiopians Overseas
BY ABDUREZAK MOHAMMED
Of late, members of the Inquiry Board of the State of Emergency managed to pay a visit to coronavirus (COVID-19) quarantine centers.
Last Sunday, the board was able to conduct a field inspection of self-contained rooms as well as COVID-19 positive patients in Eka Kotebe General Hospital.
Board’s Chairperson Petros Woldesenbet said, “The field observation is envisioned to deliberate on infection inhibition and control (IPC) strategies with medical specialists. In an effort to decrease the weight and avert deficiencies of medical provisions, healthcare amenities, medical procedures, and possessions inspection is vital.
“There can be no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic is placing unparalleled strain on the healthcare structures at home and abroad,” he added.
Dr. Natnael Bekuretsion, on his part, Medical Director of the Centre stressed that the center
was able to carry out accomplishments to prevent and control the pandemic before the Center commences operation.
“As of March 13, 2020, 450 infected and suspected patients have entered the facility and 73 patients have been confirmed.” So far, 3 patients have lost their lives, he said, adding that they will work with extreme caution to reduce the number of deaths in the future,” he continued.
As the COVID-19 outbreak continues, healthcare workers are still making an effort to stem the spread of the virus. The principle of their competence is that they put the patients’ interests first, according to him. By the same token, there are problems with water, electric power, transportation shortages and delays in laboratory results, despite the fact the procurement of vital medicines for patients, personal shielding gear for healthcare workers, testing supplies, and local initiatives that aim to advance responsiveness and appoint communities on the risk of COVID-19 is done.
Be that as it may, members of the board raised a wide spectrum of questions for health professionals in the center that has the capacity to accommodate 700-800 patients.
Likewise, health professionals were able to extend their heartfelt gratitude to members of the board and urge them for their continual visit.
Petros Woldesenbet on his part said, “At the moment, our healthcare workers are on the battle zone of fighting COVID-19. They are giving their all in the path of this virus time and again.
“Health workers are at the combat zone of the COVID-19 outburst reaction and such are exposed to threats that put them in danger of infection,” he wrapped up.
It is to be recalled that House of Peoples’ Representatives assigned a 7-member State of Emergency Inquiry Board to follow up and report its implementation. The Board has officially begun its duties as of 11 April 2020.
The day
“Health workers are at the combat zone of the COVID-19 outburst reaction and such
are exposed to threats that put them in danger of
infection,”
at Eka Kotebe General Hospital
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
There is no gainsaying the fact that success cannot be attained unless all and sundry work by the sweat of
their brows, make an effort to take the bull by the horns, and open new chapters in their lives.
As hard work is the key to success, every Tom, Dick, and Harry should be able to work day in and day out for the love of standing on their feet and reaching new heights of success. But if one fails to do so, attaining the desired goal will not be as easy as falling off a log.
As hard work is one of the pillars of success, everybody ought to stick to this reality on the ground without batting their eyes. Some religious texts say, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
The intended target of this writer is not fully emphasizing how to be a successful breadwinner, but to familiarize an Ethiopian woman who brought a taste of Ethiopia to Reading. When this writer went through the interview she gave to BerkshireLive, he was taken by surprise. This being the case, he
made up his mind to share the good news to The Ethiopian Herald esteemed readers.
To begin with, she goes by the name of Tutu Mekalu. She is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She lives in Reading. She settled in the town in 1991. Every so often, as she was taken by surprise on the multicultural and diversity of the town, the idea of running her own business sprang into her mind.
She sought to open a cafe in which she could share her own culinary heritage time after time. As time went by, she got herself involved in the business and turned out to be a successful businesswoman in the shortest possible time. She has been in the business for thirteen years.
Aside from serving Ethiopian specialties as well as British and European dishes, she offers a wide spectrum of pleasant locally-sourced cake and delicious coffee time and again.
She said in the interview she gave to BerkshireLive, “One of the reasons I fell in love with Reading when I arrived here in 1991 was the multicultural nature of the town.”
Following her hard work, she managed to
See A woman who brought... page 2
The Ethiopian Herald
Established in 1943Published daily except MondaysBy The Ethiopian Press Agency
Deputy- Editor-in- chiefWorku Belachew Email- [email protected]/ReportersLeulseged worku Desta GebrehiwotAddisalem MulatAbdurezak Mohammed Yesuf EndrisMisganaw AsnakeContributersEphrem Endale
Joseph Seboka
Ethiopian always adapts itself to dire situations and stays afloat in the business. Recently, it has re-configured four of its passenger B777-300 ER machines to cargo aircraft. What is more mesmerizing here is, it has accomplished this remarkable job with its engineers.
This shows where the country is concerning aviation technologies and foreshadows as the future is bright. No doubt, several airliners fallen on their knees and are looking forward to their governments to rescue them. Most of them slashed the salaries of employees while others lay off workers.
Ethiopian is killing two birds with a stone. On one hand, it is playing a key role in the fight against
‘We could’ve otherwise stalled’
“One of the greatest threats to countering the spread of COVID-19 nationally, is complacency. While cases in the worst affected parts of the world are stable, most countries including ours are still in the early stages. WHO indicate that the virus will stay with us for a long time with the potential to re-ignite even where it seems successfully contained. Therefore, we should not be complacent and abandon the precautionary measures necessary to halt the spread,” said Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on April 25, 2020.
coronavirus. On the other hand, it bringing innovative ways to bridge the financial gaps that are caused by COVID-19.
As it is mentioned by Ethiopian Group CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, Ethiopian is seeing its fruits of multi-million dollars investment in cargo infrastructure. “Our mission-critical service has continued across the globe in the face of the perfect storm that could have otherwise stalled our progress. We roll our sleeves up and do whatever it takes to save lives amid COVID-19. “
This is indeed turning adversity to opportunity—of supporting humanity indiscriminately and rescuing the over-seventy decade-old national asset.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has cast its shadow in every walk of life, forcing people to say
at home and businesses to come to a pause.
Besides its health and economic crises, the novel coronavirus is also resulting in massive social distress affecting all ages including students who are prevented from getting an education on their school premises.
Since the start of the outbreak, several countries have shutdown schools nationwide, impacting almost over a billion children and youth who would normally attend pre-primary, upper-secondary to a higher class.
Though there is solid evidence that avoiding public gatherings like schools could significantly help to contain the spread of the virus, the pandemic’s ramifications go to undermine the right to education per the report of UNESCO.
On the other hand, psychologists are also warning the possible psychological impacts on students resulted from learning disengagement.
Schools are more than academic environments for students. They are the means where students stay connected with their teachers and fellow students. This trend is forcing countries to move to implement digital
Stay safe, stay schooled!
learning and keep students afresh.
In response, innovative and e-learning solutions are being prescribed by policymakers to maintain the continuity of learning and assure inclusion and equity. Despite resource constraints, schools should find a way to reach out to their students whether by allowing access to digital library and/or online teaching. Open sources of digital learning; digital library centers should be adopted so that teachers can impart lessons online.
The government needs also to provide efficient internet services for online learning to be effective and also has to design effective lessons to fit radio and television transmissions. Families of the students should also dedicate time to helping children in their studies need to provide counseling services as much as they can. To this end, all bodies who have streamlined tasks on digital solutions and education firms should join hands to make digital education accessible.
PAGE 6 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 1 MAY 2020
Friday Exclusive
In our previous edition of The Ethiopian Herald, Prof. Yifru Berhan, a consultant and researcher at Saint Paul’s Hospital
Millennium Medical College and also former FDRE Minister of Health, shared with us, vastly, his expert analysis on the history of influenza pandemics and the tropical epidemics entitled: ‘Will Africa be devastated by Covid-19 as many predicted? Perspective and prospective.’ Here is an exclusive interview with him that aims at further probing into his arguments, and many more.
You worked as Minister of Health, what is your take on the capability of Ethiopian health professionals to respond to Covid-19 pandemic?
Before responding to questions, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my fellow Ethiopian health professionals who are currently on a patriotic mission by managing Covid-19 patients. You give us the confidence and brevity to follow your footsteps if condition compels us to do so. Secondly, in my perspective, cases of Covid-19 may slowly increase in Ethiopia and African tropics, but it is less likely to be an exponential type of increment, as already observed in Europe and North America. Therefore, I would like to bring to the attention of the esteemed readers that my responses to some of the questions may be based on hypothetical number of Covid-19 cases in Ethiopia.
As we learnt from the Europe-America Covid-19 pandemic, the rate of dissemination is extraordinary and unprecedented. Such scale of public health emergency affecting a large population in a very short period of time, and quite a significant proportion of them requiring intensive care service in a hospital setting is very likely to have a catastrophic effect for countries with ill-equipped health facilities. The Ethiopian health system, like many of the Sub-Saharan African countries, may not withstand such kind of emergency flooding, partly because of the extreme shortage of the essential health workforce.
As compared to the predicted Covid-19 patients for Ethiopia, the number of health professionals who are capable of managing the Covid-19 complications (including respiratory failure, kidney failure, disseminated bleeding disorder, stroke) are insufficient, and they are not far from the big towns. Among the critical staff with essential skill to manage Covid-19 and similar cases, emergency medicine specialists are at the forefront. However, this discipline was not given due attention till the first graduates came to service about a decade back.
Care for Covid-19 complications requires 24-hour intensive service, including putting on/off a ventilator (intubating and extubating), which is commonly known to bring about burnout and increased risk of exposure to the virus.
The core point is that we are not in a good
“This is a high time to establish the Global Health Security”-
Prof. Yifru Berhan
Quote: Covid-19 managing health professional team can be established at each hospital and treatment centers with short inductive training. That is what is currently in the pipeline.
have an emergency medical service unit by design. In the last decade, however, the establishment of an emergency medical service unit by redesigning and renovating the existing outpatient clinics has been attempted in relatively big hospitals, but still with limited capacity. The available medical equipment for emergency medical care are also meager. Let alone Covid-19 like outbreak, the existing space and facilities within the existing hospitals are already far behind the demand of the commonly encountered medical and surgical emergencies. The water sources and electricity in each health facility are disappointing.
How do you evaluate the measures taken by the government in response to Covid-19?
So far so good. Whatever the status of the outbreak is, the preparation made with available resources by assuming the worst to come is appreciable. It is not arguable; when somebody is told that a bushfire is coming to burn his crop on the farm or when he sees a huge blaze of it far away, he has to get prepared with all possible means to extinguish it until he knows that nature can arrest it far there, either by changing the direction of the wind or by showering heavy rain.
That is what has happened and what is happening with regard to COVID-19 pandemic. Every nation has done all its level best to prevent the fire from coming in. There were some nations in Africa, which declared lockdown, even before registering a single case. I do not think, that was wrong as the blaze’s direction and speed of dissemination was unprecedented and unpredictable. Beyond that, by citing credible resources, the international media were repeatedly hammering about
the worst effect of the current pandemic in Africa.
Therefore, as the daily warnings and the observed casualties in the Western countries have been very scary, I do not think that the Ethiopian government’s restrictive and instructive actions were exaggerated or suboptimal. In my assessment, the measures undertaken were well organized and focused. The contact tracing and isolating actions, in particular, were exemplary performances, which need to be strengthened. Probably that is why we have the smallest number of cases and deaths as compared to our population size. Implementing neither too tight nor too loose interventions have as well given an opportunity for the government not to be far from the reality on the ground.
On the other hand, the global reality could not be able to give a room for a better preparation, at least in terms of availing essential health commodities for this outbreak. The travel
Practically, the majority of these hospitals (some with 50-80 bed capacity) are now in the range of 50-110 years in service, with no or limited expansion and renovation. Sadly, the new primary hospitals too (constructed in the last two decades) are not that much better than big health centers; the majorities have one operation room and can accommodate 30-40 beds.
Therefore, when we see the available space in the existing hospitals to accommodate Covid-19 like outbreaks, it is highly frustrating. What is flaring up the situation is; neither the majority of the old, nor the new hospitals do have the facility for emergency medical service and intensive care. Organizing emergency medical service is a new initiative in Ethiopia, a bit earlier than a decade. As a matter of fact, none of the existing hospitals
position to manage Covid-19 epidemic with its full scale of spread, primarily because of the extremely low essential health professional staff (physician to population ratio for instance is <1 to 10,000). This is a chronic problem, partly because of the few number of essential health professionals graduated every year, and partly because of the continuous and enormous amount of brain drain in searching for greener pastures for nearly half a century, for which Ethiopia is not an exception among the developing nations.
Therefore, from the standpoint of the health professionals, what makes their managing capacity somehow compromised is their limited number across the nation, and probably the lack of experience in triaging mass flow with this kind of highly contagious disease. With the ongoing effort at national and regional level to maximize the health cadre for this pandemic response, if the worst comes, Covid-19 managing health professional team can be established in each hospital and treatment centers with short inductive training. That is what is currently in the pipeline.
The health systems of even developed nations have buckled due to the effect of the virus: In this case, how do you view the health infrastructure at home?
Although our modern medical service in a hospital setting dates back to 1896, the progress in the first hundred years was too sluggish. The Italian second time invasion and infrastructure destruction, the first and second world war’s spillover effect, the long lasting civil war, the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and the recurrent malaria outbreaks were among many factors which were hindering the Ethiopian government’s effort to expand the health facilities across the nation. As a result, the Ethiopian government in collaboration with missionaries and bilateral cooperations was able to construct only 76 hospitals and 279 health centers in just a hundred years.
See “This is a high time ... Page 8
PAGE 7 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 1 MAY 2020
Friday Exclusiverestrictions, financial constraints and above all the highly contagious nature of the virus have limited the government’s effort.
What challenges do you anticipate and how must the country work to properly respond to a threat(s)?
This is a key question what I like most. I will be focusing on the way forward “after Covid-19”.
With due respect to our success stories in the health sector in the last decade, the anticipated challenges and health risks the African countries in general and Ethiopia in particular may encounter are still multifactorial and multifaceted. Ethiopia is among low income countries which are struggling with double burden of the first and the second generation of diseases (communicable diseases, malnutrition and poor maternal and child health in the first generation, and non-communicable diseases in the second generation). Before it has liberated itself at least from the first generation of diseases, the country is still under higher risk of the third generation of diseases (outbreaks of mutated and/or antibiotic resistant viral and bacterial pathogens, zoonotic/animal origin diseases, substance addiction and psychiatric illnesses, if not that much under threat of biological terrorism).
Geographically, being located near the Equator makes this country at higher risk of the most fatal diseases outbreaks, including the hemorrhagic fever/bloody viral diseases (rift valley fever, yellow fever, dengue fever, Crimean Congo, nipah and Lassa fever), ebola and Marburg viruses. Since 2013, the yellow fever outbreaks are increasing in several places, including Ethiopia. The rift valley fever outbreaks have been occurring in Kenya and South Sudan. Ebola and Marburg viruses are still endemic in central and some Eastern African countries.
Our pride, the Ethiopian Airlines, is flying to almost all hot spot areas where these highly fatal viral diseases are endemic. The world population, in general, is becoming highly interconnected, which speeds up the diseases spread to far areas in hours. Many of these diseases are highly contagious, and do not have treatment or vaccine, with the exception of yellow fever and dengue fever.
Unfortunately, while anticipating the big challenges from these outbreaks, we are experiencing cholera outbreaks, which is the reflection of the poor hygiene and lack of access to safe water.
To make things short, the government and people of Ethiopia have to admit that we are not in a position to manage large outbreaks and mass casualties. Luckily, Ethiopia has not yet experienced huge natural or man-made disasters, with the exception of drought, but that does not mean that we are immune. Therefore, our institutional and logistic preparation has to be with the assumption of that the worst is to be ahead of us.
It is my unwavering conviction that Ethiopia, as potentially the super power of the Eastern and Central Africa, with the second largest population size, needs an institute that can work collaboratively with global health security, and that can carry out disease surveillance, mobilize resources and health workforce for emergency response as
deem necessary in the country and around. Managing outbreaks and mass casualties using task force cannot be a long lasting solution; there should be an institutionalized emergency response. This is a high time to establish the Global Health Security. Ethiopia has to as well take the initiative in establishing the Global Health Security body in the African region, which will be a foundation for the establishment of Global Health Security body, probably as one of the UN agencies.
On the other hand, I think the government and people of Ethiopia have now clearly realized where we are/what we have as far as the health service and health facilities are concerned. The existing hospitals with essential services are not only few in number, but also in their capacity. As noted earlier, a few better functioning hospitals are already overburdened; the capable segment of the population is travelling abroad; the needy are waiting for years for admission in the nearby public hospitals; and quite a significant number of patients are dying while waiting for the clinical care. I cannot be exhaustive in listing the huge problems the public has been facing for decades.
Therefore, the government has to use this opportunity to mobilize resources to change at least 15 of the existing hospitals from “hospital by name” to “hospital by function”, by letting them be able to accommodate each 400-600 beds, standard emergency medical service and standard intensive care unit. Fortunately, the groundwork is already well done (including design development and site selection at different corners of the country).
To materialize this, what it may need is: 1) keeping the current momentum on and use the Covid-19 pandemic as a spring board to jump to the desired goal; 2) taking this project as a priority of action in the years to come; and 3) mobilizing international and local resources. It is again my sincere conviction that there will not be any other better time than this
one to come up together and demonstrate our solidarity and perseverance. The already observed public and organizations response to Covid-19 is very impressive and gives me confidence on the local capacity at least to lay down the foundation of the change in the health service. I think Covid-19 clicks everybody’s mind that when the hard time comes, the only option we have is the self-cooperation and self-liberation. Let us put our hands together and build our capacity, which is cheaper, easily accessible and long-lasting. “Hammering while the iron is hot”.
Medical equipment for emergency and intensive care should not worry us much; the current production in the developed world (including in car factories) is extraordinary; many are unlikely to have enough warehouses for the massively manufactured and in the pipeline ventilators and many more types. Therefore, we have to start today in making good preparation to be among the best competitive beneficiaries of the overflow. My firm stand is, while intensively working on Covid-19 containment and mitigation, a parallel initiative has to be launched soon to capacitate the selected hospitals infrastructure.
Overall, without compromising the preventive actions to Covid-19 and many more communicable and non-communicable diseases, the health service has to stand with two legs to save resources (the yearly lost foreign currency by migrating patients) and be in a better position to handle an unavoidable infectious public health emergencies and traumatic mass casualties.
Probing the history of influenza pandemics and the tropical epidemics, in your article published in The Ethiopian Herald, you argued the spread of the virus and its impacts— death, and illness—could not be as severe as it is in the temperate zone. Meanwhile, the WHO believes that over
Medical equipment for emergency and intensive care should not worry us much; the current production in the developed world (including in car factories) is extraordinary; many are unlikely to have enough warehouses for the massively manufactured and in the pipeline ventilators and many more types.
300, 000 people may lose their lives? What do you comment on this?
It is not only WHO which has predicted the worst for Africa. As one can read from the statements herein, it is very scary and makes hopeless to escape it.
“While most of the world is much richer and healthier, the concern is that it is the poorest people that are going to be hit hardest by the COVID-19 outbreak,” March 4 by Max Roser. “Africa is gearing up for one of the worst pandemics the globe has ever seen,” Access challenge.
Their prediction was in reference to the developed world experience; by taking the ravaging effect of the current pandemic in the first world, particularly in countries with all the potential, many predicted the worst to happen in Africa. So far, the majority could not see this pandemic from a different perspective. Every author or expert in the field has put the chance of this disease spread with equal chance across the globe. Some emphasize it by stating a phrase like “with the exception of Antarctica”. It is true that the virus is already almost in every country, but the magnitude of spread is not yet as predicted.
Little attention is given to the effect of environment and climate condition to viral and bacterial pathogens. There is no need to go to that much detail of the molecular biology of microorganisms to know about the effect of environment and climate to their survival, multiplication and dissemination. Everybody knows that malaria is not everywhere and is not causing outbreaks throughout all the seasons.
I repeat, other human coronaviruses (SARS CoV, MERS CoV, OC43, SADS CoV) and influenza epidemics and pandemics were not able to cause that much deaths in Africa, with the exception of Spanish flu (even that one was too serious in African countries outside the tropical climate zone). Another example is the Swine Flu in 2009-2010; that originated from Mexico which was predominantly in North and South America, West Europe, South and Southeast Asia, and Australia. Among African countries, only Egypt, Algeria and South Africa were part of this pandemic. I am not arguing that Covid-19 will be aborted soon in Africa, but will not have proportional impact to countries in the temperate climate zone.
What is the correlation between the virus and the warmer climate?
Like the macro-organisms, micro-organisms have a different behavior, climate and host preference. Viruses, in particular, may survive outside their host for some time, but cannot multiply unless they get access to the main or intermediate host at variable time. Here is the key point about the fastidious or tolerant nature of the SARS CoV-2 in different weather condition. What we know from other viruses and bacteria behavior, climate has an impact on the possibility of outbreaks. The best local examples are yellow fever, dengue fever, meningitis, malaria and cholera. Change in rainfall, humidity and temperature are known to have a strong impact to the occurrence of
different outbreaks, probably by making the environment conducive for the survival of the microorganism outside the human body or by favoring the breeding of vectors and intermediate hosts.
Therefore, here what I am hypothesizing on the correlation of climate is based on anecdotal evidence and by analyzing the previous pandemics of same family, and by studying the pattern of geographic route of spread of other pandemics in the past. It is also my personal view from what I have observed in the last three months. My hypothesis is that the SARS CoV-2 cannot survive long in the external environment in a warmer and humid weather. I surmise that influenza and human coronaviruses are primarily a temperate climate zone virus; SARS CoV-2 and its cousins, in particular, have negative correlation with temperature and humidity. This hypothesis can be accepted or rejected after carrying out further basic science research on the survival of this virus outside human body at different latitude, gradient of altitude and seasons.
One more, with this regard, Ethiopia and many African countries may as well benefit from ultraviolet radiation (UVR) B exposure. It is well proven fact that ozone depletion, prolonged sunlight exposure, higher altitude and latitude increase the UVR B exposure, of which Ethiopia specifically has double advantage to be protected from Covid-19 like epidemics (high altitude and prolonged sunlight exposure). Living organisms in general and microorganisms, in particular, are at higher risk for UVR B effect. UVR B is known to kill viruses by chemically modifying their genetic material (DNA and RNA). During rainy or cloudy season, 70%-90% of UVR B type is blocked, which may be one of the possible reasons for low incidence of Covid-19 in the African region at this dry season. The effect UVR B on Covid-19 is an agenda of discussion globally.
Why Covid-19 reaches this degree of spread and becomes selective?
There are a lot of unanswered questions that are puzzling researchers. As noted earlier, apart from a dichotomized (North and central) type of the SARS CoV-2 spread, the bizarre course of the disease state of Covid-19 is still enigmatic; among others, the pre-symptomatic virus shedding, recently recognized post-symptomatic prolonged virus shedding and the extra-respiratory organ-systems failure in selected areas and individuals are not yet clearly understood. The less morbid and less fatal nature of this virus to pregnant women and children is still an enigma for many researchers.
Pregnant women, in particular, in addition to the suppressed immunity, the anatomic and physiologic changes with the pregnancy make them vulnerable to viral infections, including the respiratory system. Interestingly, unlike many viruses (including SARS CoV and MERS CoV), SARS CoV-2 is hardly causing serious illness to pregnant women. For the less morbid and almost negligible fatal nature of the Covid-19 in pregnant women, it may be explained by the molecular level study of the immunological changes associated with
Covid-19. With this regard, I have made my analysis and hypothesis, which is already in a scientific journal. The detail may be too technical for the general public audience.
You also warned against complacence as the rainy season is coming particularly in the highlands of Ethiopia? Will it accelerate the transmission?
From experience, we know that viral infections are very common during cold weather, which is again somewhat related to the above question on the effect of climate. The yearly flu-like illnesses (including the historical Spanish flu in Ethiopia/‘Yehidar beshita’) are commonly observed during the late Ethiopian winter and spring (usually between August and December), which is a cold and less humid season for Ethiopia. Similar pattern is observed in many other countries.
The implication is that the viruses can survive longer outside human cells (commonly on the surface of human hands) and get transmitted to other persons during cold and rainy season. Viruses are not only fragile to hot weather but also to hot fluids and hot body temperature. That is why the traditionally well-known treatment for the common cold is steam and warm drinks. With the same analogy, SARS CoV-2 may have a better chance of transmission in the coming Ethiopian winter and spring, particularly in the highland areas, where the humidity is low and UVR B exposure is blocked.
Nearly a week back, multicountry authors analyzed data from three countries and have postulated that the hypoxic nature of high altitude (low oxygen) may compromise the half-live of this virus and in vivo (in human body) infectivity to the cells and multiplication, after they noticed that highland inhabitants are less susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, which is probably the case for Ethiopia. However, unless this is considered as complimentary factor, the hypoxic state of high altitude is always there,
PAGE 8THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 1 MAY 2020
Friday Exclusive
and may not have an impact on the seasonal nature of the viral outbreaks. Whatever the mechanism is, high-altitude is probably an advantage for less risk of Covid-219. The majority of European countries being at or near sea level perhaps has increased their susceptibility to Covid-219.
The message is; we are still at increased risk of further spread of this disease, particularly, when the weather condition becomes favorable for the virus spread in the months to come.
Do you think the world has remained ignorant of the impacts of potential pandemics while spending in billions and realizing fast global interconnectivity?
Well, I think, the answer for this question is not simple and straightforward. It may be explained by the social science theory of “The Unintended Consequence of Purposive Action”. One thing what I agree with many environmentalists is the less attention given to climate change by the industrialized world and the progressively warming world, which is partly attributed to the increasing occurrence of zoonotic diseases in the middle and low-income countries, while the globalization has been growing with alarming rate.
Although I am not in the field to comment on it, the fast globalization or global interconnectivity is still related to the climate issue, fast population growth in low and middle income countries, global trade and intercontinental tourism, which all are contributing factors for high mobility of the global population. Industries have been translocated from high income countries to low and middle income countries to find low wage workers and more than that to be free from climate roars back at home.
In my opinion, the global connectedness has not been established by design, rather by default, primarily spearheaded by technology advancement and secondly, by the achievement of demographic dividend in many middle income countries. I do not think that the established globalization is regrettable or reversible. Many countries across the globe have closed their borders and avoided international travels as a response to Covid-19 pandemic. Any further similar action is likely to bring about economic crisis worldwide, as the foreign investment and foreign asset are critical for their macroeconomy. But, it is difficult to judge that they have already anticipated this kind of pandemics in the 21st century. Still many worse things may be experienced while going for good (economic development).
Therefore, as pointed out above, what is essentially needed is establishing a Global Health Security to liaise and coordinate the global response for similar outbreaks. Secondly, the global response should not only focus on managing crisis; rather, much emphasis has to be given in preventing the occurrence of such outbreaks, by recognizing any infectious agent currently anywhere as a global threat, and investing on vaccine and therapeutic agent development. Governments, pharmaceutical companies and philanthropies have to come together to support infectious disease researchers.
The global connectedness has not been
established by design, rather by default, primarily spearheaded by technology advancement and secondly, by the achievement of demographic dividend in many middle income countries.
“This is a high time...
PAGE 9THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 1 MAY 2020
Between you & me Ephrem Endale Contributer
Why is there so much suffering? Everyone have their own theory as to where this sly virus
originated. (A cabbie I know was told by a regular well-heeled woman passenger that it was all a hoax. Wasn’t someone using that same word a few weeks back?) “The politicians are doing this,” she said. The cabbie was so upset he has terminated his contract to take her to her office and back home.
But there is this one ‘reason’ many among us seem to have taken to heart. “It’s a curse!” The catch here is that the curse is particularly upon us back here! A curse! Still another curse! There already a hundred and one hanging over our heads and now this one! Look, by some omen, ‘The Curse’ has been behind all of our problems since as far back as our imagination takes us. All those wars, all those famines, all the bloodletting…the list is long. One doesn’t have to put one’s mind on steroid to figure out other reasons. Hey; learn to live it! The no-appeal verdict is…” It is ‘the curse’ upon us unrepentant souls.” And if that is too much for you, you got some heart-stopper coming your way; once this passes there is more to come down the road. Maybe! Maybe those guys who claim to have a direct line with ‘The Heavens’ might know better. Maybe they are hiding the facts from us. Unfortunate we can’t demand for the transcripts of their phone calls across the Milky Way.
But, why us? Not that we are not a nation of angels minus wings. We probably don’t
The bars and watering holes have been banned from selling alcoholic drinks after 6:00 P.M. Sometimes, even
the most uncomfortable things could be full of promise. I mean the guy whose soft spot for alcohol creates all sorts of problems for him could use the stay-at-home situation to cut back on those things. Not only could one discard addictions, one could also save money! Isn’t that nice! Look, saving money at a time when you thought the only thing saved is the migraine giving you those sleepless nights, saving money is a blessing.
But old habits die hard. People are using backdoors to drink their nights away! The police have nabbed many red-handed; and there is this khat thing; here too many are nabbed in the act. This is not about having guts. This is not about having bullet-proof guts. It is outright stupidity! What are these people thinking about! It is a little unbecoming of people to try to rationalize stupidity;
If you think things have changed then you have a surprise coming your way; at present we, back in this corner of the world, are the ones worrying more about our brethren abroad! Has anyone in his/her right mind thought of such a scenario ever unfolding! Me in Addis worrying about them in Washington DC! That would have been an
SNL material.
It wasn’t supposed to be like that! For ages they were worrying about us, even during marginally best of times.
“Hey are you alright over there!”
“Yes, we are. You don’t have to worry.”
“The things we read on the social media are scary.”
“I told you we are alright”
“You mean you can walk on the streets of Addis peacefully?”
‘Hey! What’s the matter with those guys over there?’
“Yes we do; I told you we’re alright.”
“Are you sure? The news on the social media says that no one can walk in Addis.”
That was then. Now it is a whole different ballgame. Now, it’s our ‘turn’ to worry. Really! Yes, really. Yes, we should have been worrying about ourselves. That the numbers aren’t shooting through the roof like they are elsewhere doesn’t mean we are out of the woods. Still, we can’t help worrying about Ethiopians far from their country. We can’t turn our backs to the nightly news; with the shocking numbers of infections and deaths
indifference isn’t an option. We worry not only because of the dangers of infections but the dangers of losing their jobs. I mean most of them labor sixteen hours a day to put food on their tables and all of a sudden this pandemic hits!
“Hey…how are you guys doing over there?”
“What! You call from Addis! Are the Tele people giving you free calls?”
“No they aren’t.”
“Isn’t it expensive to call from there?”
“It is. But we are worrying about you guys over there…”
Pause; a pause that is too stretched for comfort.
“We’re fine…”
Yes, things are changing, though in ways we wouldn’t have liked.
The typical letter to the diaspora guy. “How are you doing over there? The image that fills your mind is not that of your friend; it is the almighty dollar! “You know things are not good back here. Everything is expensive. Can you send me the latest Mac laptop?” That was the case in the good old days. Things at least for now don’t seem to be so rosy. More than twenty four million
people out of work in the US! That isn’t only too much; it is simply appalling! So we can’t help thinking about the plight of our own people out there.
“Hey how is Blen doing?”
“I think she is doing alright.”
“What do you mean you think? Aren’t you guys living together?”
“We are; but we see each other probably once every two or three weeks.”
“What kind of an explanation is that? Don’t you guys sit around for chats or something?””
“Look, I hold three jobs, she holds two. There isn’t even enough time to grab a decent meal let alone have a chat or socialize.”
That was then; and when all that hangs on the balance you can’t help having all the wild ideas anxiety pups into your occupied or unoccupied brain. “How are they going to survive if they lose all jobs? What about all those loans they took from everything from the fridges, to the cars, to the houses! While you are at it, how are you guys back there doing?
From Abyssinia with love; May God be with you! Sooner or later, this too shall pass.
From Abyssinia with love
‘The Curse’feature in the top half of ‘the blessed’ list… if there is such a list. Still many of claim we are just that, the blessed. That is why the Sword of Damocles is always hanging over our heads! I’m not well versed with such things, but aren’t ‘we, the blessed’ supposed to have it easier! So ironical!
This COVID 19 the problem is global. We are not in it alone. For once, billions across land and sea are in the same boat. Then, just curious, why are we being singled out! I mean speaking of sinning, we haven’t been the naughtiest of all! In many places ‘sinning’ is not behavioral slips or tumbles; it’s a way of life! How severe could the sins of our ancestors have been for us to be always roasting in Lucifer’s pan?
Look, given all the mystery surrounding the virus, many of us prefer the easy way out. Why not! Even the most brilliant minds humanity has to offer haven’t yet come any closer to solving the riddle! So blaming us weak mortals for looking for the easy way out isn’t fair. “It’s a curse upon us!” Put that into your mind and the next time the chloroquine thing is raised give it to them as it is… “It’s a curse!” And the only way out to safe land is…repent! How
about that! Claiming that this problem is all about ‘the curse’ story is the easy way out; If you try to question “But why!” when you’re told about ‘the curse’ that is not going to win you many friends. No hard talk; No Larry King stuff; Just take it, as they say,
lying down. “Don’t disturb; subject asleep.” Case closed.
I mean when all the bright minds of the world are trying to unfurl the riddle and we break the news, “Aren’t you guys listening? It is a curse!” we deserve some pat on the back. So you see, we look for the easiest way out. “It is a curse, d u m m i e s ! And don’t give us that
bio-weapon stuff!” thoughts!” (How I wish things
were that simple!)
Incidentally a matter comes to my mind. It has now become a tradition for TV stations to air ‘special programs’ on holidays. Not that there is much of a front page material. Nice that they try to make our holiday enjoyable: So on Easter day almost all the TV stations had so-called ‘special’ programs. Were things enjoyable? Depends how you define enjoyable. One common factor was that
much attention was given to the COVID 19 pandemic. A thumbs-up comes handy. But there were a couple of things that took foolishness to new heights. Sheep wearing face masks! Come on! There could have been less offensive ways to disseminate any messes, if there were any for that matter. Forget the ‘dialogue’ between a couple of sheep which, at best, was third rate material. But the very act of putting face masks on the animals in a country where there is an acute shortage of facemask is not about creativity! If they thought they were bringing the smiles on our faces, I’ve news for them. They have failed drastically. Many viewers were really offended by those scenes.
Look, those of us who really believe it is ‘a curse’ we are admitting we have sinned! Sinned enough for such a massive blow to land on our heads! So we have to make amends. We have to deal with all your rough edges and claim, “See! We’re no more the sinners we were! Time for the curse to end!”
No one really knows which way the wind blows in the coming weeks and months. No one is sure when the “Eureka!” moment would come. Ethiopians have been praying fervently over the past months. The clergy have been openly shedding their tears pleading with The Almighty to make this pandemic history.
We just hope that the prayers would be answered. But about it being ‘The Curse’ upon us, it is a story that we probably have to revisit.
The Horn of Africa has been the scene of continuing struggles of foreign actors throughout history. The centuries-long Ottoman influence in this region had left its place to the colonial activities of the Western countries. In recent years, several new actors have started to seek influence in the region.
The Horn has been lying in the shores of Gulf of Aden, Bab al-Mandab, and the Red Sea, a route that is one of the most important passages for the world’s maritime trade. Besides, a great deal of oil and natural gas exports from the Gulf countries to the European market are shipped through this route.
From its geopolitical point of view, the existence of this route makes the region a pulling factor for interventionists.
This article aims to briefly explain the links between the Nile Basin politics and the Horn dynamism that the Arab interventionists have recently expanded their influences to the Nile by expressing allegiance to Egypt.
And this information may also provoke people for further research.
For a couple of decades now, some Middle Eastern countries’ interests have been deepened in the Horn of Africa. For example, in 2006, the United Arab Emirates signed an agreement with Djibouti to operate Doraleh, one of the most important ports in the region. While longing to establish a military base at the port of Assab in Eritrea.
The UAE had also made strategic moves to become an influential actor in the Region and used two approaches. These approaches or instruments are control of ports’ operations and the establishment of military bases. As a result of this, Somaliland and Puntland welcomed the Emirati initiative.
Likely to UAE, after the eruption of the Gulf crisis between the Quartet (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt) and Qatar, the involvement of other global and regional actors in the Horn has shown an increment.
Countries like Turkey, China, and Russia are seeking opportunities to cooperate with Eastern African countries.
One can understand that the Horn of Africa is triggering strategic competition for
regional and global actors. The Eastern African countries which have a politically fragile structure, accompanied by unemployment, factionalism, and conflicts of an ethnic origin, should know that they have strategic importance for external actors.
They have also to be more curious about integrating themselves into the multi-polar international system.
Except for Egypt, the Nile Basin riparian countries belong to the East and/or the Horn regions.
Although the change of hydro-political relations in the Nile Basin, some regional
or global actors have preferably continued supporting Egypt rather than helping the riparian countries in bringing to end disputes over the Nile Basin.
Despite other involvement in the Horn, the new interventionists from Gulf states have deep diplomatic ties with Egypt. For instance, one of the alliances against Qatar, in Quartet, is Egypt. In this bloc, Saudi Arabia and UAE have been at the forefront. And they have also been seeking to involve and expand their influences in the Horn of Africa.
The great northeastern shield of Africa comprises of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti. Especially, these countries are becoming the epicenter of external actors that aspires to get dominance and secure their interests.
Egypt has also woken up to the Horn of Africa recently after several years of lethargy. For over two decades, president Hosni Mubarak had stopped attending African summits after a failed assassination attempt against him in Addis Ababa. The absence of Mubarak in
Continuous summits helped Ethiopia to mobilize the continent around the view that the Nile Waters colonial and post-colonial agreements needed to be revisited.
After a decades-long negotiation among the Nile countries that included Egypt, the Cooperative Framework of Agreement (CFA) on the Nile has come to life, and as a result of it, Ethiopia has moved forward in building the
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
But Egypt is fearful that the dam gives Ethiopia the capacity to stem the Nile’s flow. Here, TPLF-led ruling party, the former (EPRDF) leadership, even if it is accused of political crimes committed in the past couple of decades, its unprecedented political decision to build GERD that brought a change in hydro-political dynamics, won’t be denied.
Egypt being in poor terms with Ethiopia, it also engaged in a troubled relationship with Sudan which has swung behind Ethiopia on the Nile Waters partly because of its plans to expand irrigation relies on the GERD.
Additionally, Turkey’s plan to build a base in Sudan had also shocked the leaders and politicians of Egypt. Turkey is an active investor in Sudan with plans to open a base at Suakin Island, on the country’s Red Sea coast. Egypt was, therefore, seeking to contain Sudan and Ethiopia, and counterbalance Turkey.
In response, Cairo had cultivated ties with Eritrea, stationing troops there, and was helping with finance the government of South Sudan as a counterweight. Events have indicated that actors of the Horn and the Nile politics have a direct or indirect relationship, in effect.
For the Middle Eastern states, the Horn is a second-order priority, below their concerns
See Between the ... Page 19
Art & Culture THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 1 MAY 2020 PAGE 11
BY MIHIRETU WASSIE
This article is my view mainly discusses about the representation and misrepresentation of women in Ethiopian fine arts as well as their involvements through the process of making arts. This misrepresentation of women role in arts created a discrimination against women in economical, socio-cultural and political participation among the society. Even some women representations in many paintings are for the sake of ‘men’s businesses. The feminist author Irigaray discussed on her book ‘women on the market’ mentioned that women are co-modified as object for men business among the society. My inspiration is also the Irigaray’s idea of feminism and concept of women body co-modification in all the way through the society. Based on her idea of gender discrimination, I will try to explore about the positive and negative depiction of women in world art history as well as Ethiopian arts and artists’ way of gender based views. Some people may argue that such representations are common in male depictions through fine arts but my point is regarding on the majorities of the fine art works in Ethiopia miss representations.
Representation in art is not simply a matter of drawing or painting, rather it reflects the society’s perspective against women or gender based discrimination in all aspects. As Irigaray discussed, the patriarchal society dominated the fundamental positions and power. This leads to facilitate easily women’s role on the market for the function of keeping their position.
The portrayal of this kind of representation in not limited in Ethiopia; but it was very common in world art history and African indigenous arts. In the world art history and modern art isms and famous artists are males. But in the 17th edition of world art history only one female artist mentioned (Ulusoy, 1999). Most of the men commissioned art works desires are nude female body to hang around their personal rooms. The feminist writer Nwaford wrote as (women as objects of male gaze in some works of Nigerian artists, at Nnemdi Azikiwe university) that the desire of women nude body is beyond the aesthetical value, it is a matter of sexual aspiration.
Women representation in the world art history
The world art history and creativities were written and dominated by male artists. Lacy on her article living art: writing on performance politics publics in 2010 at duke universitypress that the 20th century
art movement started to deconstruct these kinds of trend to create equal opportunity for women.
The European renaissance paintings are highly realistic and nude paintings. Painters like Michel Angelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael’s paintings are an example for this exaggeration of women body as a sexualized cotraposto composition.
Aronson wrote about these titled as Gender and South African art at Colman African studies center in 1991 from the art historian perspective. She expressed that the woman participated art works had small attention on the market. Women based African arts transaction system and market values were limited around the community not for the international market. Pottery and clay making arts are specified for female; on the reverse metal works and sculptures are assigned for male according to her.
Similarly, Most Ethiopian pottery makers, basket workers, and craft activities are permitted primarily for women. This indicates that the social categories of male and female role in Ethiopian indigenous and modern arts are categorized based on gender classification. Female are disadvantaged group when measure according to its price and accessibility on the market. This is not a matter of skill about the division of art works between men and women, but is it socially constructed gender based task.
In most African countries culture art not a profession that allowed for women but the household services and house activities only preserved for female. Comparatively from African county’s artists, Ethiopian modern artists born abroad are achieving successfully like Julie Mehretu and Aida Muluneh as Alicia made a documentary about African women artists in 2011.
Ethiopian art and gender based discrimination
The Ethiopian art history emerged from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church iconographies. Most of the well-known Ethiopian indigenous artists are iconography painters like Kess Adamu. Almost all iconography painters in Ethiopian iconography paintings were male painters, priests or debeteras from the previous experiences. But currently a number of female iconography painters are emerging in some chuchrches and monasties. Due to this the participation of female artistes was very limited in the church and outside the church.
The history of European modern art in Ethiopia started after the opening of Addis Ababa Fine Arts School in 1957
Gender representation in Ethiopian fine arts
As we see on the above women on the painting represented highly exaggerated body structure around there posterior. This is deliberately emphasized body structure to attract the men’s attention. These kinds of paintings are common currently in Ethiopian arts in many exhibitions. Ethiopian well known women depicted positively in most paintings are Etege Taytu, Etege Menen and former governors and officials. Except some well known female face, most female depicted on paintings depends on their beauty, sexualized female body to attract the business men or directly for market oriented purpose. by Alle Felegeselam. After the opening of modern art school, female artists have got access to learn art like Desta Hagos and Bisrat Gemechu, Embet Aweke and others. The representation of Ethiopian women in modern art was different during Haileselassie, Derg and EPRDF regimes. During the Haile Selassie regime women represented as a mother or motherland, in the Derg regime women represented as heroic character due to socialism movement and at the time of the EPRDF as a business.
I had group exhibition that held in December 2019 at Sheraton Addis Hotel. During exhibition, there were around 500 artworks displayed. Among the art works almost 85-90% of the paintings are female illustrations. The problem is not only the domination of female paintings, but an artist when I observe it, the most representations were not correct for me or misrepresented for the sake of business minded approach. Most paintings were nude body females, the European sense of beautify measurements and highly decorative art works. This is not purely the ethics of the art but it is comodifying of women’s body as an object through art works.
Contemporary women artists in Ethiopia
Contemporary art period is a multidimensional art activity including
fine arts, performing art, video art and photography. Even though the Ethiopian contemporary art is started and well organized after Ethiopian millennium, many influential artists are performing by raising different socio cultural, political and economical issues. Among the contemporary female artists Mehret Kebede, Helen Zeru, Marta Haile are provoked many gender based issues and discriminations against women. Those young artists provoked oppressive norms, economical and hegemonic power against women in exhibitions and performances.
Women owned art galleries, and museums in Ethiopian are emerging in the last 20 years in Addis Ababa. Lela art gallery was founded by Lilly Sahle at Torhayloch. She facilitated many art exhibitions, workshops and art projects for women artists including from east Africa regional artists for the last 2 decades.
The second female owned art gallery is Addis Fine arts. The founders of this art gallery are Rakeb Sile and Mesay Haileleul. Due to having many experiences abroad, Rakeb and Mesay are preparing exhibitions and workshops for contemporary Ethiopian artists including female young artists. Others like Zoma contemporary art center is also women owned art village founded by Meskerem Aseged. The availability of women owned fine art centers tries to create access for women artists. The availability of empowered women artists helps to deconstruct irrelevant boundaries between men and women in the society as well as in art sectors.
Finally my recommendations to empower women artists and to create equal access with men needs to consider the following points; first Women owned arts villages, museums, art galleries and performance stages should be promoted to increase the number of women artists. Second, encourage women artists to be active participant in fine arts and thirdly deconstructing the socially constructed oppressive traditions against women artists.
From nil to a herioc icon, to co-modification
Fig. 2, unknown painter
The portrayal of this kind of representation in not limited in Ethiopia;
but it was very common in world art history and African indigenous arts
PAGE 12 THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 1 MAY 2020
ADDIS ABABA- Germany has announced support package of €120 million to help Ethiopia address the negative economic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to Fana Broadcasting Corporation, the funds will support the macroeconomic stability of the country, safeguarding of jobs in textile industry and procurement of medical goods in collaboration with WHO.
In a letter wrote to Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed, Gerhard Müller, German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development said “We stand by Ethiopia in this crisis.”
“The commitment is made in the context of Germany’s and Ethiopia’s reform partnership concluded last December, supporting Ethiopia’s ambitious economic reform agenda,” said the German Embassy in Addis Ababa.
Germany Announces €120 mln Support
Package to EthiopiaADDIS ABABA (ENA)- Ethiopia has unveiled a suite of new digital health tools that enhance surveillance, monitoring, and tracking of Coronavirus cases in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A team of experts led by Ministry of Health and Ethiopian Public Health Institute have been working to configure and deploy digital information systems for public health officials and policymakers to access accurate, real-time information during the pandemic.
Health Minister, Dr. Lia Tadesse said the world had seen the evidence shared by WHO and other health experts on how we can help flatten the curve to slowing down the spread of the epidemic and mitigating against the risk it creates.
“Doing so will require individual and collective protective measures that stamp out new chains of transmission while also mitigating the damage of the spread of COVID-19,” she added.
According to her, the tools are critical in
terms of routinely collecting surveillance data, tracking suspects, tracing contacts to confirmed cases, issuing lab requests and receiving results, and monitoring COVID-19 patients until their health outcome is determined.
Dr. Lia pointed out that “these tools will be integrated with the other existing systems developed by our partners for better consistency and timeliness of all COVID-19 related information.”
Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) Director General, Dr. Ebba Abate said on his part “the digital tools will support the enrollment and tracking of suspected cases, create lab requests, link confirmed cases with contacts, and monitor patient outcomes.”
As a result, he stated that call center agents, rapid response team members, medical officers, lab technicians, and national and local health authorities involved in the Coronavirus response will be able to do their jobs more efficiently.
USAID Mission Director Sean Jones noted that “data is not going to stop Coronavirus by itself, but will serve as an essential tool for epidemiologists and health authorities to monitor and respond to the crisis more effectively.
As the disease burden increases, there is a need to support health workers fighting COVID-19, as well as other diseases, he said, adding that “this is why USAID is proud to partner with the Government of Ethiopia and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in building a resilient healthcare system that can better withstand the shocks of pandemics through the use of technology for more timely and accurate data to inform response efforts.”
The new systems were developed with support from USAID’s Digital Health Activity, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Data Use Partnership, and youth volunteer group to support the fight against COVID-19 across the country, it was learned.
Nation deploys new digital tools for COVID-19 surveillance, response
German pharmaceutical company BioNTech has begun testing a potential vaccine for the new coronavirus on volunteers.
BioNTech, which is working with the US-based Pfizer, said on Wednesday that 12 participants of a clinical trial in Germany received doses of the vaccine candidate BNT162 since April 23.
Numerous pharmaceutical companies are racing to deliver a vaccine for the virus that has caused a pandemic and led to more than 215,000 deaths worldwide and sickened at least three million people.
BioNTech said in a statement that in the next step, it will begin increasing the dose of BNT162 in a trial involving about 200 participants aged 18 to 55.
The company said it expects to receive regulatory approval to begin trials in the United States soon.
While a safe, effective vaccine is still more than a year away, researchers are rushing
(Source: Aljazeera)
German company begins human trials of coronavirus vaccine
ADDIS ABABA-The Russian Federation has donated USD 10 million to FAO to assist the fight against the desert locust outbreak in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda.
The funds will be used to buy pesticides, fuel, vehicles and sprayers, as well as for the employment and training of personnel for the pest’s elimination.
FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, welcomed the donation.
“We are grateful to the Russian Federation for its contribution to help fight the alarming impact of the Desert Locust upsurge. It will help efforts to stop the spread of the locusts and to safeguard the livelihoods of farmers and their families who are at risk from this scourge,” Qu said.
So far FAO has received $117.3 million in donations from national governments, foundations and other organizations.
Russia donates USD 10mln to support fight locusts in East Africa
to repurpose existing drugs and non-drug therapies as well as testing promising experimental drugs that were already in clinical trials.
Even moderately effective therapies or combinations could dramatically reduce the crushing demand on hospitals and intensive care units, changing the nature of the risk the new pathogen represents to populations
and healthcare systems.
New drugs, together with new diagnostics, antibody tests, patient- and contact-tracing technologies, disease surveillance and other early-warning tools, mean the anticipated next “wave” of the global pandemic does not have to be nearly as bad as the first.
As many as 100 potential COVID-19
candidate vaccines are now under development by biotech and research teams around the world, and at least five of these are in preliminary testing in people in what are known as Phase 1 clinical trials.
Scientists in the United Kingdom began clinical trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine on April 23 as other vaccine developers across Europe stepped up work on experimental shots.
The team at the UK’s Oxford University dosed the first volunteers in a trial of their vaccine - called “ChAdOx1 nCoV-19” - while Italy’s ReiThera, Germany’s Leukocare and Belgium’s Univercells said they were working together on another potential shot and aimed to start trials in a few months.
The UK’s GSK and France’s Sanofi have announced a similar agreement to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, with trials starting in the second half of the year.
Media Review
with Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Their interest in Africa is an offshoot of these higher concerns.
What the Gulf States have in common instead is that they provide direct financial aid or budgetary support to the leaders in the expectation that it will be reciprocated. Sometimes, military victory is also regarded as a legitimate political objective (as seen in Yemen). Egypt fears Ethiopia’s economic viability throughout history, especially, hydraulic works propel it into a state of further anxiety to undermine works. The existing situations, indicate that Ethiopia has been stretched between two edges, on one side, it has geographically a great concern on the Horn politics which is vulnerable to its
national security, on the other side, it has long-standing dispute towards Egypt on Nile Basin hydro-political issues.
The hard task also awaiting Prime Minister Abiy’s government is, to strategize how to synchronize the shifting premises of his words from enmity to political and diplomatic amity
towards the Horn countries. For this reason, On June 16, 2018, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, the new the reformist leader had visited Mogadishu to initiate an act of ending the history of war and violence between the two neighboring countries. On this occasion, PM Abiy expressed his vision for the region that included: ‘’A common trade area where people, ideas, goods, and products move freely across borders. It is a future where we
work to enlarge opportunities for our people and work for economic security that gives our children and grandchildren great hope.”
Accordingly, Ethiopia’s concern in Horn politics is not a choice rather maintain its national security.
Moreover, peoples who live in the periphery regions of Ethiopia have shared identities and cultures with their respective neighboring peoples. Similarly, the negotiation between riparian countries on Nile issues is also crucial for Ethiopia and its rival.
As history witnessed, the relationship between Egypt and Ethiopia goes beyond ancient times, but they did not utilize this long aging diplomatic amity for good and common benefit. From this point, the negotiation
between Ethiopia and Egypt on the Nile waters is seen chimerical. But, as international experiences have shown that disagreements can be successfully managed if diplomatic strategies focus on opening political spaces through communication between leaders of the nations.
Nowadays, Ethiopia and Eretria have good diplomatic ties, while Somalia and Djibouti is surrounded by external actors. Therefore, the government of FDRE is highly expected to revisit its existing strategy towards the Horn and have a responsibility to watch carefully the extensive web of alignments of the Horn countries with external actors.
PAGE 19THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 1 MAY 2020
Between the Horn...
Ethiopia, Netherlands stress need for joint approach in fight against COVID-19
ADDIS ABABA-( ENA) Ethiopia and Netherlands have emphasized the need for a joint approach in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.
Foreign Affairs Minister Gedu Andargachew and his Dutch counterpart Sigrid Kaag held telephone conversation today.
Minister Gedu briefed Kaag about Ethiopia’s measures taken so far to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and curb its spread.
Furthermore he underscored that international coordination and partnership is crucial in fighting the border-less disease.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kaag agreed with Gedu’s belief for international cooperation and expressed her country’s commitment to support Ethiopia’s efforts in fighting the pandemic through both bilateral and multilateral institutions.
Strong economic measures will alleviate effects of COVID-19, expedite recovery: Ministry of Finance
ADDIS ABABA-( ENA) The Government of Ethiopia has been taking tough economic measures that save lives and ensure quick recovery from the adverse effects of COVID-19, according to Ministry of Finance.
In an exclusive interview with ENA, Finance State Minister Eyob Tekalgn said making available 15 billion birr to private banks to enable them provide debt relief and additional loans to their customers are among the measures.
The Council of Ministers has also passed a set of economic measures that support firms to keep their employees and survive through these difficult times, and expedite the country’s economic recovery.
According to him, “the economic measures include cancellation of taxes owed to Ministry of Revenues; and taxes that are due to audit finding between the Ethiopian years 1997 and 2007. The council has decided to forgo this debt all together.”
Eyob added that his ministry will set detailed guidelines and directives for implementation and follow up.
“As for the tax of firms in the time line
between the Ethiopian years 2008 to 2011, the decision made is to cancel the interests and penalties as well as to allow the firms pay their taxes in the scheduled time frame. In doing so, they can pay 25 percent of the tax and the remaining sum in an installment basis during the course of a year,” he elaborated.
He further pointed out that the government will make 10 percent deduction for firms
that pay their full tax at once.
Property tax cut measures are also introduced to encourage firms to keep their employees in payroll.
With regard to salary income tax, “firms are allowed to withhold four-month salary tax of employees, provided they are affected by the pandemic. So if a firm is paying salary to its employee without gaining income
due to Coronavirus, the government will allow the firm to withhold its income tax contribution for four months,” the state minister elaborated.
Other economic measures include finance disbursement to encourage Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and provision of additional liquidity to microfinance institutions to avail credit.
The economic measures also take into account farmers’ cooperatives so as to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted supply chain that is fully intact, Eyob said, adding that “to support that role the government has decided to provide additional liquid in terms of loans, amounting 1.5 billion birr.”
The measures will have paramount importance to encourage and support firms to continue operating and ensure quick economic recovery when the pandemic is over, he observed.
All the above “were tough decision, and required serious deliberations as they cost the government greatly,” the state minister stressed.
He urged firms to act responsibly and pay their dues.
Media Review
Finance State Minister Eyob Tekalgn
FM Gedu AndargachewSigrid Kaag
PAGE 20THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD 1 MAY 2020
BERHANENA SELAM PRINTING ENTERPRISE
In Pictures
“The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired. One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.”
Ethiopian Aviation Academy maintains 31 Mechanical Ventilators in their workshop and this effort is being scaled up to regions & city administrations, with free air transportation. Additionally, Sine Lik institute under National Metrology Agency has maintained 6 and Black Lion Hospital maintained 8 mechanical ventilators so far. Source: Tweet of Minister of Health Lia Tadesse on April 29.
“Take up one idea; make that idea your life. Think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”
Engineer Takele Uma, the deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa City Administration and cabinet members of the city pay a visit to the existing situation of Sheger bakery factory on April 25, 2020.
“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in or-der to look at things in a different way.”
“It is true that our communities are faced with a myriad of problems which COVID19 will exacerbate. Nevertheless, sustainable solutions also have the potential to emerge in such critical periods. I encourage all minds to engage in creative and innovative pursuits that will be in service to humanity,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on April 28, 2020.
The real road of compassion, that is, giving, helping, assistance and community service, is a road that can be set and declared as your life’s purpose.”
A careful and organized view of this month food distribution at Berahle camp.
“Leaders need to be facilitators, and help others get what they need.”
We received the 3rd round of essential medical supplies from Jack Ma including 199,300 protective clothing, 300 ventilators, 708 thermometer guns, 28,500 medical gloves and 3,800 faces shields. Thanks you for continuing to show solidarity with Africa, said Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on April 27, 2020 on his Facebook page.
