Tag Archives: USDFA

Boys & Girls Club of Ethiopia?

June 25, 2011 Tadias Magazine 2 Comments

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)

News

USDFA Sends $300000 Worth of Med-Equipment to Ethiopia

August 22, 2010 Tadias Magazine

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

March 15, 2010 Tadias Magazine

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)

January 2, 2010 Tadias Magazine 14 Comments

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

News

Ethiopia to Take FIFA to Court

July 31, 2008 admin 1 Comment

Above: Ethiopia’s Grum Siyoum (R) fights for the
ball with Morocco’s Benjalloun Abdessalam (C) during their 2010 World
Cup qualifying soccer match in Casablanca May 31, 2008.
REUTERS/Rafael Marchante(MOROCCO)

Ethiopia to go to court over FIFA ban (The Guardian)

ADDIS ABABA, July 31 (Reuters) – Ethiopian soccer authorities said on Thursday a suspension by FIFA was illegal and that they would take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

FIFA suspended the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) on Tuesday after it repeatedly failed to comply with a February 2008 agreement aimed at restoring its officially recognised leaders.

“The ban imposed by FIFA is illegal and EFF will take its case to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport,” the body said in a statement.

Unless the suspension is lifted, Ethiopia will not be able to play their next international match, a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Morocco on Sept. 7.

The statement urged FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to send a delegation to Ethiopia to investigate the problem. (Reporting by Tsegaye Tadesse; Editing by Sonia Oxley). Read More.

News

UN Terminates Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Force

July 31, 2008 admin

Above photo: undispatch.com

UN council disbands Eritrea-Ethiopia border force (Reuters)

By Louis Charbonneau

Thu 31 Jul 2008

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council voted on Wednesday to disband its peacekeeping mission to the volatile border between Eritrea and Ethiopia after Eritrea forced out most of the U.N. troops.

The mandate for the 1,700-strong force expires on Thursday. The council unanimously approved a resolution drafted by Belgium that calls for the mission to be terminated and all peacekeeping personnel to be withdrawn.

The resolution calls on the two sides “to show maximum restraint and refrain from any threat or use of force against each other, and to avoid provocative military activities.” Read More.

News

African First Ladies Coming Soon to LA

July 31, 2008 admin

Above: Ted Alemayhu, Founder & CEO of U.S. Doctors for
Africa, hosts the market close at NASDAQ on Thursday, March 23,
2006.

U.S. Doctors for Africa (USDFA) to host African First Ladies Health Summit in Los Angeles

By Tadias Staff

Thursday, July 31, 2008

New York (Tadias) – U.S. Doctors for Africa (USDFA), founded by Ethiopian-American social entrepreneur Ted Alemayuhu, announced earlier this week that it will be hosting the first Annual African First Ladies Health Summit in Los Angeles in April 2009.

USDFA in collaboration with African Synergy, an NGO founded by African First Ladies, has formed a strategic partnership to efficiently mobilize and deliver needed medical resources to African countries. The summit will highlight current and prospective projects to be taken by USDFA and African Synergy.

“This is probably one of the most empowering initiative we have ever been involved in,” says Ted Alemayhu, Executive Chairman and CEO of USDFA. “What is exciting about this particular partnership is that the entire movement is initiated and mobilized by the First Ladies themselves. And it is a great testimony, commitment, and dedication that needs to be encouraged and supported by all stake-holders around the world.”

The summit is held in collaboration with the African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering, an NGO founded by African First Ladies. Mr. Alemayhu described this strategic partnership as a way to re-ignite the dialogue and work on key African health initiatives. “It would help to mobilize women’s strength & commitment to a better Africa” he said.

USDFA seeks to help advance the First Ladies efforts to create an effective and sustainable complementary approach in the fight against public health issues affecting Africa’s development.

The first Annual African First Ladies Health Summit will particularly focus on the threat of HIV/AIDS on children in Africa. “USDFA is prepared to be engaged in the helping the people of Africa with the full support and direct assistance & participation of the First Ladies” Mr. Alemayhu told Tadias. “USDFA and African Synergy share the common belief that healthcare is a basic human right, and recognize that a healthy population is essential for growth, development, and prosperity in every society.”

Above: (Standing, left to right) First Lady of Kenya, Mrs
Lucy Kibaki; Mrs Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba, First Lady of
Gabon; Dr Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director; Mrs
Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of the Republic of
Rwanda and President of the Organization of African
First Ladies against HIV/AIDS; Mrs Maureen Mwanawasa,
First Lady of Zambia; Mrs Toure Lobbo Traore, First
Lady of Mali; (seated, left to right) Madame Denise
Nkurunziza, First Lady of Burundi; Mrs Viviane Wade,
First Lady of Senegal; and UNICEF Deputy Executive
Director Rima Salah together at the launch of the
“Treat every child as your own” campaign, an initiative
of the Organization of African First Ladies against
HIV/AIDS, in New York on 15 September.
Photo credit: UNAIDS/Peter Serling

In addition to the summit, USDFA will mobilize volunteers and other resources from the United States and strategically distribute these resources in regions where they are most needed, in accordance with African Synergy’s recommendations.

Although details for the Summit are still being worked out, the event is currently set for April 20th – 23rd and the planned location is Beverly Hilton. Mr. Alemayhu told us that more information about the Summit schedule will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Photo Journal: Ted’s Keynote at Columbia (Tadias)

USDFA to Deploy Mobile Clinics to Ethiopia (Tadias Exclusive)

Ethiopian Business and Lifestyle