Emergency medical services in Ethiopia

State Minister of Health Dereje Dhuguma visiting an advanced ambulance unit owned by Aayyoo Ambulance Dispatch Center in Jimma city

Despite the success of healthcare system implementing emergency medical services in recent years, Ethiopia endures major obstacles in provision due to shortages of emergency equipment and equity across all regional states.

Background

Ethiopia's healthcare emergency medical services general lacks significant improvements and suffers shortages in equity among all regional states.[1] In 2008, the first ambulance and emergency service provider called Tebita was established by specialist Kibret Abebe.[2][3] In Addis Ababa, emergency medical services has been challenged as patients being transported through taxi and private automobile. Ambulance delaying and language barrier also contributed to these challenges, aggravating suffering of patients.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), patients who died from trauma is as a result of emergency-related issues.[4] In 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 clients who receiving emergency services in public hospitals in Hawassa. The study concluded that about 24.9% (one quarter) participants used emergency medical services.[5] The Addis Ababa Fire and Disaster Risk Management Commission (AAFDRMC) offers pre-hospital emergency services such as out of hospital services and transportation, which is operated under government fund.[6] In recent years, Ethiopia's healthcare system has improved its emergency medical service with convenient policy; including urgent ambulance accessibility, limiting bed space and offering first aid paramedic services.[7]

During COVID-19 pandemic, pre-hospital EMS utilization was reportedly reached from 0% to 38%, while the level of prehospital care utilization was 87.6%.[8]

References

  1. ^ Mosadeghrad, Ali Mohammad; Gebru, Addis Adera; Sari, Ali Akbari; Getu, MIkiyas Amare (2019). "Emergency medical services in Ethiopia: Drivers, challenges and opportunities". Human Antibodies. 27 (S1): 33–41. doi:10.3233/HAB-190368. ISSN 1875-869X. PMID 30958339.
  2. ^ "Social Enterprise saving lives in Ethiopia" (PDF). Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  3. ^ "Improving Emergency Medical Services in Ethiopia". Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  4. ^ Sultan, Menbeu; Abebe, Yonas; Tsadik, Assefu Welde; Ababa, Asmamaw; Yesus, Alegnta Gebre; Mould-Millman, Nee-Kofi (2019-04-18). "Trends and barriers of emergency medical service use in Addis Ababa; Ethiopia". BMC Emergency Medicine. 19 (1): 28. doi:10.1186/s12873-019-0242-5. ISSN 1471-227X. PMC 6471849. PMID 30999840.
  5. ^ Mekonen, Zelalem; Jemebere, Wegene; Chekol, Aklile Tsega; Tadesse, Fikru; Borie, Yacob Abraham; Mola, Ezedin; Wale, Mastewal Aschale; Tunushe, Yunuka Marufa; Reta, Yared; Aynalem, Amdehiwot; Feleke, Beyene; Gobena, Gelane Geleto; Beyene, Bereket; Yeheyis, Tomas (2024-06-15). "Utilization of emergency medical service and its associated factors among patients visited public hospitals at Hawassa City, Sidama Region, Ethiopia, 2023". Heliyon. 10 (11) e31906. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31906. ISSN 2405-8440. PMC 11176806. PMID 38882288.
  6. ^ Seid, Feleku Yimer; Gete, Birhanu Chekol; Endeshaw, Amanuel Sisay (2024-07-11). "Challenges of pre-hospital emergency care at Addis Ababa Fire and Disaster Risk Management Commission, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a qualitative study". BMC Health Services Research. 24 (1): 803. doi:10.1186/s12913-024-11292-6. ISSN 1472-6963. PMC 11241940. PMID 38992683.
  7. ^ Mosadeghrad, Ali Mohammad; Gebru, Addis Adera; Sari, Ali Akbari; Getu, MIkiyas Amare (2019-02-01). "Emergency medical services in Ethiopia: Drivers, challenges and opportunities". Human Antibodies. 27 (1_suppl): 33–41. doi:10.3233/HAB-190368. ISSN 1093-2607. PMID 30958339.
  8. ^ Olani, Ararso Baru; Beza, Lemlem; Sultan, Menbeu; Bekelcho, Tariku; Alemayehu, Michael (2023-02-01). "Prehospital emergency medical service utilization and associated factors among critically ill COVID-19 patients treated at centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia". PLOS Global Public Health. 3 (2) e0001158. doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0001158. ISSN 2767-3375. PMC 10021779. PMID 36962872.
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