2024 CURE Children's Hospital of Ethiopia Annual Report
PURPOSE
CURE provides worldclass surgical care to the world’s most vulnerable children
VISION
By 2026 to become internationally recognized as a center of excellence for holistic care, training, and research
MISSION
To provide a holistic healthcare service to children with disabilities that is safe, sustainable, and compassionate
Dr. Mesfin surgically treats a patient with knock knees.
Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia
The numbers and statistics cited throughout this report reflect CURE’s Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), which ran from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.
staff member Yodit reads patient Tamirat a children’s Bible.
AA LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Adey Abate
s we reflect on the past year, I want to express my gratitude to all our stakeholders, donors, and coworkers for helping us reach significant milestones. None of this would have been possible without your dedication and support.
This year has been remarkable. Our key milestones include achieving the highest SafeCare quality certification (Level 5), upgrading our Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to ensure we are efficiently and effectively managing the resources entrusted to us, and improving our prosthetics and orthotics workshop. We have also started constructing our clinical services building, which will include the most advanced operating theater and equipment. All these achievements demonstrate our commitment to providing the highest quality care for the most vulnerable.
One of our core priorities is to train the next generation of surgeons, anesthesia providers, and nurses. We have continued our partnerships with medical colleges throughout the country and strengthened our rotation program for orthopedic residents and anesthesiologists. As a College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA) regional training center, we have continued our fellowship training program in pediatric
orthopedic surgery. This past year, all our fellows successfully passed the COSECSA exam—and one was the gold medalist!
Looking ahead, we will focus on continuing to improve our quality and patient safety, particularly efficiency and excellence in our service delivery. This will require patience and vigilance from our coworkers, contractors, and patients as we will continue to provide service during construction. I am confident that, with our dedicated team and strong stakeholder relationships, we will navigate this successfully.
In closing, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to our coworkers, partners, stakeholders, and donors for their trust and dedication. I look forward to another year of shared success as we continue to drive CURE Ethiopia toward a bright and impactful future serving children in need of treatment for life-limiting disabilities.
Adey Abate Executive Director CURE Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia
OVERVIEW FISCAL YEAR 2024
CURE ETHIOPIA provides world-class surgical care for children living with treatable disabilities. Orthopedic services primarily include care for clubfoot, knock knees, bowed legs, and neglected trauma. Plastics/reconstructive care is expanding to serve children needing microvascular surgery.
6
KEY PROGRAM STATISTICS IN FY24
12,063
HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TRAINED
136
HOSPITAL SUMMARY
Davao City PHILIPPINES
OUR NETWORK
CURE Ethiopia is part of CURE International, a nonprofit organization that operates a global network of children’s hospitals pairing worldclass surgical care and counseling to serve children living with treatable disabilities and their families.
Kijabe KENYA
Bulawayo ZIMBABWE
Addis Ababa
ETHIOPIA
Cities where recent mobile clinics occurred CURE Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia
After years of rigorous audits and dedicated efforts, CURE Ethiopia has achieved the highest SafeCare certification level – Level 5!
SafeCare is an international healthcare standards program that aims to improve clinical quality and empower healthcare providers by helping them measure, monitor, and improve their services using innovative solutions and a stepwise approach. It does this by assessing hospitals on a scale from Level 1 (very modest quality) to Level 5 (high quality) and supporting them in achieving the highest level possible.
CURE Ethiopia began its SafeCare journey with a baseline assessment in October 2022, achieving a
commendable SafeCare Level 3 accreditation. However, fueled by a strong commitment to excellence, the hospital’s management and staff rallied to push for the highest standard.
This achievement is a huge milestone and a great cause for celebration. CURE Ethiopia’s SafeCare Level 5 accreditation signifies the hospital’s ongoing dedication to providing the highest standard of surgical and compassionate care to children with treatable disabilities.
CURE Ethiopia SafeCare Quality and Patient Safety Service Element Champions celebrate achieving SafeCare certification Level 5.
CURE ETHIOPIA RELAUNCHES SPINE SURGERY PROGRAM
In late January 2024, a surgical team visited CURE Ethiopia for one week. The visit was not just a routine one; it held a special mission—to relaunch spine surgery at CURE Ethiopia after a tenyear hiatus. Together with CURE Ethiopia’s surgical staff, this team performed spine surgeries for children suffering from life-limiting scoliosis.
The spine neuromonitoring team keeps their eyes on Haniel’s spinal cord in real time during her spine surgery.
Scoliosis, a condition characterized by an abnormal curve in the spine that distorts the rib cage, can affect vital organs like the heart and lungs, limiting a child’s life expectancy. Approximately tens of thousands of Ethiopian children live with scoliosis, yet no in-country pediatric spinal services have met their needs—until now.
CHANGING YOUNG LIVES
The first week of spine surgery at CURE Ethiopia changed the lives of five young Ethiopian girls—starting with 16-year-old Haniel. Haniel had lived most of her life with severe scoliosis that limited her mobility, diminished her confidence, and kept her isolated from her community. Without surgery, her condition could have worsened and become fatal.
Pediatric Spine Surgeon Dr. Victoria Kuester, who was visiting from Children’s Hospital of Richmond in Virginia, led Haniel’s nearly fourhour surgery. She was joined by Dr. Elizabeth Drum, who helps lead the anesthesiology team at Children’s
Before surgery, Haniel’s scoliosis limited her mobility.
Hospital of Philadelphia, and Dr. Jake Gamboa, an anesthesia fellow at the University of Colorado. This team provided valuable training and insight to CURE Ethiopia’s surgical team.
Dr. Timothy Nunn, CURE Ethiopia’s Medical Director, and Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Stefano Bolongaro assisted with the procedure, which involved placing rods and screws to straighten Haniel’s spine.
Also, spine neuromonitoring trainers Ashley Walbert and Teguo Daniel, together with CURE Ethiopia neuromonitoring trainees Pediatric Anesthesiologist Dr. Tihut Teshome, Anesthetist Yemisirach Melaku,
and Operating Room Nurse Mekdes Lemma, assessed Haniel’s spinal cord function in real time during her surgery to prevent spinal cord damage.
Now, after a successful surgery and recovery, Haniel can look forward to a full life free from the complications of scoliosis. She shared, “I want to thank CURE for everything . . . and I want to thank God . . . I know He loves me.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE SPINE PROGRAM?
From left to right: Registered Nurse Asrat Shita, Dr. Victoria Kuester, Dr. Stefano Bolongaro, and Dr. Timothy Nunn perform Haniel’s five-hour surgery.
needed equipment, providing training in spinal care, and adding a dedicated spine surgeon.
Longer-term plans include eventually expanding to complete 250 spinal surgeries and Mehta casting procedures annually and developing a robust training program to equip surgeons across Ethiopia to provide spinal care for children with scoliosis.
By God’s grace, and with support from CURE’s generous partners, more of Ethiopia’s children suffering from spinal conditions will experience healing and lifelong transformation.
“I WANT TO THANK CURE FOR EVERYTHING . . . AND I WANT TO THANK GOD . . . I KNOW HE LOVES ME.” --- Haniel, age 16
After surgery, Haniel can look forward to a future free of scoliosis.
TAMIRAT’S MIRACLE
When Melese and Bekelech saw their son was born with bilateral clubfoot, something they had never witnessed before as farmers in remote Ethiopia, they thought it was miraculous. This prompted them to name him Tamirat, meaning “miracle” in Amharic, one of the languages spoken in Ethiopia.
As Tamirat’s family soon discovered, clubfoot affects bones, muscles, tendons, blood vessels . . . and so much more. For a child with untreated clubfoot, everything is limited: mobility, education, opportunity, the future.
Tamirat’s clubfoot worsened as he grew. While his parents worked the farm and his siblings went to school, Tamirat remained at home because he couldn’t stand or walk without pain.
Physical Therapist Demsash performs Tamirat’s serial casting.
“It hurts me when I see children do things I can’t do,” he recounted with sadness. “I want to go to school. I want to work and be capable like other children in my village.”
Because the family lived far from any hospital, Melese had no idea help was available. But he had faith that Tamirat would be healed. “I was just waiting in expectation that God would do something. To do a miracle,” Melese said.
Melese and Bekelech never imagined God would provide life-changing medical care using a local musician, a viral Facebook post, and their own community!
THE MIRACLE BEGINS
One day, a community member saw Tamirat and Bekelech fetching water from the river. Not knowing how to help, the stranger took a photo of Tamirat and posted it on Facebook, hoping someone would find him treatment. Many people shared the post, including local musician Alemu Aysa, until it caught the attention of CURE’s partner organization Christian Blind Mission (CBM).
Before surgery at CURE Ethiopia, Tamirat couldn’t fully participate in family and community life because standing and walking were so painful.
“MAY GOD BLESS YOU BEYOND MEASURE. MAY GOD REPAY YOU
FOR
THIS KINDNESS YOU HAVE GIVEN ME AND MY FAMILY.”
--- Melese, Tamirat’s father
“People say it takes a community to raise a child. At the same time, it takes a community to treat a child, to change the destiny of a child,” says Adugna Hirpa, Program Manager at CBM. Adugna saw the viral post and reached out to CURE Ethiopia, hopeful that Tamirat’s miracle would finally come.
After his community came together to pay for the long journey to Addis Ababa, Tamirat arrived at CURE Ethiopia with a caregiver who volunteered to stay with him. His mother was pregnant with baby number eight and could not travel, and his father had to remain home and work the farm.
LIVING THE MIRACLE
Tamirat’s five-month stay at CURE Ethiopia included regular casting to encourage his feet to straighten out, followed by two surgeries to complete the repositioning of his feet.
Tamirat enjoyed recovering in the Rees-Jones Foundation Children’s Ward, where he played with new friends, heard Bible stories, and learned songs about God’s love.
Following the successful completion of his clubfoot treatment, Tamirat returned home walking on newly straightened feet and looking forward to a future full of “firsts”—from wearing his first pair of new shoes to attending his first day of school.
As Bekelech smiled through her tears, Melese expressed his gratitude to the community that helped transform their son. “May God bless you beyond measure. May God repay you for this kindness you have given me and my family.”
Tamirat and his mom, Bekelech, are filled with joy now that Tamirat’s feet are straight.
HOSPITAL LEADERSHIP TEAM
Adey Abate
Executive Director
Dr. Tim Nunn
Medical Director
Mesfin Taye Director of Counseling
Sara Kahsay
Nursing Director
Dr. Yodit Enkossa
Quality & Patient Safety Director
Metasebia Mamo
Human Resources & Administrative Director
Mahlet Teshome
Facilities Director
Abinet Takele
Finance Director
Debebe Leta
Program & Development Director
TOTAL REVENUE 258,049,610 ETB (FY23 210,418,431)
TOTAL EXPENSE 210,784,738 ETB (FY23 199,370,795)
CURE Ethiopia staff gathered in front of the hospital.
PARTNERSHIPS
Addis Ababa Health Bureau
Alemachen Convalescent Home for the Disabled
AO Foundation
Bahir Dar, Asella, and Arba Minch Physical Rehabilitation Centers
Bahir Dar University - Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital
Cheshire Foundation Action for Inclusion (Bahir Dar & Jimma Project Offices)
College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa
FDRE Authority for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO)
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministry of Health
Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital
Heal and Teach Foundation
ICRC
Jigjiga University Shiek Hassan Yabare Referral Hospital
Jimma University Medical Center
Limb Kind Foundation
Mother Teresa Missionaries of Charity
Nordic Medical Center
Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS)
Project Matrix
Rees-Jones Foundation
Shamida Ethiopia
SIM medical missions team & Bingham School
Smile Train
Soddo Christian Hospital
St. Paul’s Millennium Medical College
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
Tikur Ambessa Specialized Hospital
Tim Tebow Foundation
Transforming Faces
University of Gondar - CBR Program
University of Gondar Specialized Hospital
University of Oxford
USAID
JOIN US
REFER A CHILD
Cleft lip or palate conditions are assessed on a walk-in basis at the CURE hospital in Addis Ababa. A referral is not required.
All orthopedic patients are prioritized according to clinical urgency and need a referral letter obtained from a doctor before attending the CURE clinic. The referral letter and a triage review will be considered when prioritizing clinic appointments with a surgeon.
