Abdu Adem Yesufe, Clinical Oncologist and Sub-Saharan African Regional Council member at ASCO, shared on LinkedIn:
“I had the privilege of attending a monumental milestone for healthcare in Ethiopia: the official launch of the Liver Transplant Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), dedicated to orchestrating efforts toward establishing the country’s first-ever liver transplantation service.
While the journey to this point has been long, it has laid a firm and sustainable foundation for a world-class liver transplant program in Ethiopia. The landmark presentations by our MDT members-reflecting extensive advanced training and clinical stays at world-renowned institutions, including CPMC and leading centers in Taiwan-demonstrated an extraordinary level of clinical readiness and expertise.
Building a program of this magnitude requires an entire ecosystem of enabling initiatives. Key foundational pillars already in place include:
- Unified Legal and Regulatory Framework: The approval of the ‘Health Service Administration and Regulation Proclamation’, officially legalizing and regulating organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Ethiopia.
- Systemic Infrastructure: The restructuring and optimization of the Ethiopian Blood and Tissue Bank Service (EBTBS).
- Institutional Legacy and Readiness: Leveraging years of successful kidney transplant experience at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC), supported by state-of-the-art infrastructure at the new GI and Transplant Center.
- Human Resource Development: ongoing fellowship programs in Hepatobiliary Surgery, Gastroenterology, and Interventional Radiology (IR), alongside upcoming super-specialty programs to ensure long-term workforce sustainability.
- Regional Hub and Medical Tourism Vision: Aligning with the strategic goal to establish SPHMMC and Addis Ababa as a premier hub for medical tourism & specialized care across East Africa.
- Leadership Commitment: Strong ownership, visionary alignment, & unwavering support across the Ministry of Health (MoH) and SPHMMC leadership.
- Multidisciplinary Excellence: A deeply passionate, highly skilled, and enthusiastic team of clinicians and supportive staff.
In a country facing a high burden of viral hepatitis, chronic liver disease, and the devastating economic toll of seeking care abroad, establishing local transplant capacity is not a luxury-it is an absolute, life-saving necessity.
Deeply inspired by the vision, collaboration, and dedication of everyone involved. History in the making, and the future of tertiary care in Ethiopia is bright.”
You can also read: Moving Closer to Establishing Ethiopia’s First Liver Transplant Center – SPHMMC.
