Israel’s Sheba Medical Center Leads Humanitarian Mission to Ethiopia to Provide Neonatal and Trauma Care

RAMAT GAN, Israel – February 2, 2023 –  Sheba Medical Center, Israel’s largest medical center and a Newsweek top-10 ranked world’s best hospital for the last four years, this week led a humanitarian mission to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. The four-day mission focused on neonatal care and increasing the capacity for long-term quality specialized healthcare in northern Ethiopia.

This mission was part of Sheba’s Global Impact initiative, which is dedicated to building bridges to prosperity through healthcare, innovating to implement cutting-edge health solutions globally, and fostering critical relationships to strengthen fragile healthcare systems.

“Together with my Sheba colleagues, I am honored to have the opportunity to share our knowledge and skills with our local colleagues in Ethiopia and to work together to treat patients with the latest life-saving treatments,” said Prof. Tzipi Strauss, Director of the Neonatology Department at Sheba Medical Center. “Our mission is not only about providing direct care to patients, but also empowering and educating local medical teams so that they can continue to provide top-quality care long after we leave. We believe that by working together, we can make a sustainable impact on the healthcare system in Ethiopia and help improve the lives of countless families in the region.”

The team of Sheba specialists joined forces with healthcare providers in Bahir-Dar to offer top-quality care to the local population. The mission included specialized neonatal care for premature and critically ill infants after birth, and special care and surgeries for infants with congenital anomalies.

While the standard of medical care varies widely across Ethiopia, limited access to modern medical facilities and equipment, and widespread poverty, malnutrition, and poor sanitation have resulted in an average life expectancy of 66 years, lower than the global average of 72. Despite these challenges, the Ethiopian government and international organizations, together with the help of humanitarian missions like Sheba’s, are working to improve the overall standard of healthcare in the country and enhance medical capabilities in the wider region.

“Sheba’s commitment and dedication to extending a hand to those in need across the globe is a fundamental guiding principle for us,” said Yoel Har-Even, Director of the International Division & Resource Development, Sheba Global, at Sheba Medical Center. “Our mission in Ethiopia includes some of the most skilled physicians our hospital has to offer, allowing us to not only treat patients in need but to lay the foundation for future progress in the region. We are proud to make a positive impact on humanity and to offer hope without boundaries.”

Sheba Medical Center is committed to improving health equity in developing regions and impacting healthcare globally. Through missions like this one and previous efforts in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, Sheba has worked to extend a helping hand to those in need and improve the standard of care around the world.

Photos of the mission are available here.