Tag Archives: U.S. Doctors for Africa

Events, Featured

Ted Alemayehu: Founder and President of US Doctors for Africa

Tadias Magazine
By Aida B. Solomon

Published: Thursday, February 13th, 2014

Los Angeles (TADIAS) — The California-based non-profit organization, US Doctors for Africa (USDFA), is gearing up to host its largest healthcare summit to date — The Pan-African Medical Doctors and Healthcare Conference — to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from May 21-23, 2014.

In an interview with Tadias Magazine, Ted Alemayehu, Founder and President of USDFA said that the gathering, the first of its kind, is intended to mobilize solutions to common concerns that healthcare professionals from across Africa share. “We have invited almost every medical association from the continent,” Alemayehu said, pointing out the conference will also include “a ministerial panel” in which the Ethiopian, South African, Ugandan, Zambian and Nigerian Ministers of Health will be participating. Invited dignitaries including the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, President Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, and Chairperson of the African Union Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma will also be in attendance.

The three-day conference will be held at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa headquarters in Addis Ababa. The theme of the conference, Alemayehu said, is “Africa’s healthcare challenges of the 21st century.” Some of the topics to be raised include healthcare infrastructure, investment opportunities, women’s health, and the controversial issue of “brain drain” in regards to African healthcare professionals.

“One of the main reasons why our African doctors are leaving the continent is because of economic reasons; so how do we deal with that?” Alemayehu asks. “One of the ideas that we’re going to introduce is the launch of a Pan-African Doctors Fund.” He added: “The fund would match a healthcare professional’s salary in their native country. For example, instead of an Ethiopian doctor making 5,000 birr per month, the fund would help him earn 12,000 birr a month, a difference that would help retain much-needed doctors in the country. The fund will also support the training of African doctors and provision of up-to-date technologies.”

Alemayehu said his team is “extremely excited” about the conference. Fourteen years ago Alemayhu launched USDFA after coming across a shocking statistic in the LA Times: “In some countries there is one doctor for every 100,000 people.”

“That’s what really got me,” Alemayhu says. With a professional background in hospitality management and consulting, Alemayhu decided to sponsor five doctors on a four-week mission to South Africa, Ethiopia, and Kenya. The American doctors were able to establish partnerships and perform operations, and came back to Los Angeles with “tons of stories to share.” A nationwide profile on the Tavis Smiley Show jumpstarted USDFA, and the rest, as Alemayehu says, “is history.”

Tadias Magazine first sat down with Ted Alemayehu in 2003 as the non-profit was gearing up to launch several high-profile partnerships to expand their mission of providing training and assistance to doctors working in African countries. In 2006, USDFA was approached by the Clinton Foundation in conjunction with the Clinton Health Access Initiative campaign to increase low-cost quality treatment to those afflicted with HIV/AIDS. In 2009, USDFA organized the first ever African First Lady’s Health Summit in Los Angeles with over 25 participating countries and 19 First Ladies flown in from across the continent.

In regards to the upcoming conference in Addis Ababa, Alemayhu says he expects NGOs, foundations, corporations, and mobile clinic manufacturers to also be in attendance.
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You can learn more about the conference at panafricanhealthconference.org.

Related:
Tadias Interview: Dr. Enawgaw Mehari on Pan-African Health Conference in Ethiopia

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Podcast

Boys & Girls Club of Ethiopia?

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Above: Ted Alemayhu of USDFA says Africa could gain much
from organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Saturday, June 25, 2011

New York (Tadias) – Inspired by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a national organization whose mission is “to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens,” social entrepreneur Ted Alemayhu, Founder and Chairman of US Doctors for Africa, announced plans to launch a similar pilot program in Ethiopia.

Mr. Alemayhu made the announcement at a meeting with a small group of philanthropists in Los Angeles, California this week as part of his plans for 2012.

“The true driving force behind this idea is the encouraging effort being made by several private and public organizations to help bring about well defined and managed social activities for young people in Ethiopia, including preventive healthcare,” Mr. Alemayhu, said via email. “I have always been inspired by the work of The Boys & Girls Club of America whereby millions of young Americans are participating in healthier activities and receiving proper care that continues to play an effective role in shaping their future to becoming better Americans.”

Asked if the club will be a formal chapter of the U.S. organization, Mr. Alemayhu, who is also a father of a young boy, said there is no affiliation.

“We’re certainly inspired by it, but our version will not have any formal connection with The Boys & Girls Clubs of America,” he said. “The idea is to partner with existing agencies and schools in Ethiopia to implement our program. If the test is successful there, then we intend to make it a continent-wide organization. ”

Mr. Alemayhu adds: “An official website will be dedicated to the project where people can read more about it and get involved in helping to materialize the program.”
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To learn more or get involved, send an email to: info@usdfa.org. More information about US Doctors for Africa can be found at www.usdfa.org

Cover image: Press conference by US Doctors For Africa to announce a historic health summit with 15 First Ladies from Africa, April 16, 2009 – Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/PR Photos)

Events, News

Africa-USA Trade & Investment Conference

Tadias Magazine
Events News

Published: Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Las Vegas – Social Entrepreneur Ted Alemayhu, Founder and Chairman of US Doctors for Africa, will be launching the Africa-USA Business Executive Conference in Las Vegas from February 14-16th, 2011.

The event is the first of its kind and is a venture by the California-based private firm Africa-USA Trade & Investment. The conference aims to support strategic business networking opportunities between US and African-based private firms as well as their respective governmental entities. The event web site states: “Top executives from key industries, such as banking & finance, agriculture, oil & gas, telecom, aviation, travel & tourism, construction & development, information technology, health & education, and mining will be attending this historic convention. Events for the final night of the conference will include the Chairman’s Dinner Reception with the theme “America Honors Africa.” The dinner will honor African Ministors and business leaders and will be hosted by Mr. Alemayhu and the Mayor of Las Vegas.

If You Go:
Learn more at www.africanbizconvention.com.

News

USDFA Sends $300000 Worth of Med-Equipment to Ethiopia

Above: USDFA has sent large supplies of medical equipment
to help furnish a new hospital under construction in Ethiopia.

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Sunday, August 22, 2010

New York (Tadias) – US Doctors for Africa, a California based NGO, announced that it has shipped nearly $300,000 worth of medical equipment to Ethiopia.

The cargo, which also contains medical supplies, is intended to furnish a new hospital under construction in the Oromo region of Ethiopia.

According to USDFA’s Founder and CEO Ted Alemayhu, the material is being delivered through the local health authorities. “Members of the Oromo regional government officials have expressed their advance gratitude to USDFA for the vital support in providing the supplies to the hospital,” Mr. Alemayhu told Tadias. “The facility currently being built would provide some vital healthcare services to over 350,000 people.”

Mr. Alemayhu said USDFA mobilizes American healthcare professionals to engage in service in Africa, and also plans to send volunteers to the area on a regular basis. “Besides sending the medical equipments and supplies, we plan to send medical personnel to the region for short term missions year round,” he said.
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You can learn more about U.S. Doctors for Africa at USDFA.org.

News

African Presidents Summit On Health to Be Held in Washington, D.C. in 2011

Above: African Presidents will gather in the U.S. next year
for the first-ever summit on health, according to USDFA.
(Photo credit: TropIKA.net)

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Monday, March 15, 2010

New York (Tadias) – The first African Presidents Health Summit will be held in Washington, D.C. in the Spring of 2011, U.S. Doctors for Africa (USDFA) confirmed today.

The California based non-profit organization, which also played host to the first ever African First Ladies Health Submit last year in Los Angeles, says several heads of state have been invited to attend the upcoming conference.

“It is expected that the majority of African leaders joined by their health ministers and other cabinet members will be attending the summit. Members of the U.S. government, heads of American-based foundations and corporations, as well as executives from various NGOs will also be joining the event,” Ted Alemayhu, Founder & Executive Chairman of USDFA, told Tadias Magazine. “Several African Presidents have already confirmed attendance, and a complete list of attendees will be announced in early 2011.”

USDFA hopes that the historic gathering will put a spotlight on the continent’s chronic healthcare crisis. “As most of us are aware, the issue of health and access to healthcare is an ongoing concern throughout Africa, and, certainly, the leaders of the continent are on the forefront in dealing with this vastly complicated issue,” Mr. Alemayhu said. “What is encouraging is that each leader seems deeply committed to bringing about a better and more broad access of healthcare to their citizens, and the timing for the leaders to come together on this specific topic could not be better.”

Mr. Alemayhu says that he is confident in the successful outcome of the Summit. “What is unique about this Summit is that all Presidents will be focusing on one common issue; they are looking for a more sustainable and timely way to solve the healthcare crisis that is claiming the lives of millions of their citizens. We expect the Summit to provide each leader with an opportunity to highlight their successes and challenges, and to gain more international resources to better assist their efforts on the ground. ”
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Related links and videos:
Click here to watch the first African First Ladies Health Summit

Video: Cameroon Honors Ted Alemayhu

Ted Alemayhu’s Keynote at Columbia University (NYC)

Featured, News, Profiles

Cameroon Honors Ted Alemayhu (Video Added)

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Above: Ted Alemayhu, pictured here addressing the African
First Ladies Health Summit in Los Angeles last Spring, was
honored in Cameroon last week. (Courtesy photo).

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Saturday, January 2, 2010

New York (Tadias) – Ted Alemayhu, Founder and Chairman of U.S. Doctors for Africa (USDFA), was honored in Cameroon last week for his organization’s work tackling Africa’s enormous health care problems.

Mr. Alemayhu, who convened the African First Ladies Health Summit in Los Angeles last Spring, says the acknowledgment of his service brings needed attention to USDFA’s work in Cameroon and other nations in Africa.

“The President and The First Lady of Cameroon were kind with their generous recognition of our efforts in bringing the highly needed medical manpower and other resources to the continent,” Mr. Alemayhu told Tadias Magazine. “The recognition would simply raise the level of attention and awareness of the needs for organizations like U.S. Doctors for Africa to be more engaged in providing much needed medical care and services to the people of Africa who continue to suffer from the lack of basic medical care.”

According to Mr. Alemayhu USDFA is currently working with three local organizations in the country: The African Synergy organization, the First Lady of Cameroon’s Foundation, and The Chantal Biya Foundation. “All of the organizations are our strategic partners in Cameroon and their missions are directed to providing access to health care to under-served communities, mainly targeting women and children,” he said. “U.S. Doctors for Africa brings volunteer medical manpower as well as medical supplies and equipments to further assist several clinics that are currently being managed by these organizations. Currently we are working toward sending an estimated $500,000 Dollars worth of medical supplies and equipments to Cameroon.”

Mr. Alemayhu tells us that he has also traveled to his native country, Ethiopia, and that a medical project there may also be imminent.

“During my recent yet very brief trip to Ethiopia I’ve had the opportunity to meet with the Health Minister and other senior officials of the government. We’ve had some productive discussions in regards to USDFA’s possible new engagement in the country,” he said. “I will be back in Addis soon for further discussion and action plans. In the past, USDFA has developed several successful medical missions to Ethiopia, and we hope to expand on our efforts in accordance with the country’s health plan and strategic approach.”

Asked about what he considers to be the biggest health care challenge facing the African continent today, Mr. Alemayhu is quick to answer that lack of trained medical professionals is the number one chronic problem. “Unfortunately, and despite the great effort that is underway by several thousand organizations across the continent, the biggest challenge continues to be the extreme shortage of medical manpower,” he points out. “According to some credible sources, the ratio of doctors per population in most African countries remains 1 doctor per 100,000 people. This staggering and disturbing statistic further complicates the situation despite the fact that more vaccines and other medical supplies are being provided to the continent. Our effort is not only to bring in U.S. trained volunteer medical personnel to the continent but to also help train more local health care providers as well.”

And what is he looking forward to in 2010? “We plan to host the second-annual African First Ladies Health Summit in 2010,” Mr. Alemayhu said during an interview conducted on New Year’s day. “However, it will be held in Africa. At this time we are considering several possible hosting countries.”

Video: Ted Alemayhu in Cameroon

Related Video:
Ted Alemayhu’s Keynote at Columbia University (NYC)