Ethiopia
Improving rehabilitation services
© S.Bonnet/Handicap International |
Handicap International has been present in Ethiopia since 1986. Currently, our programme operates in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, and in eastern Ethiopia (the town of Dire Dawa and the Somali Region of Ethiopia). Our activities focus on three main areas: physical rehabilitation and training, promoting the rights of people with disabilities, and the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Key Facts - Ethiopia
• Population: 85 million
• Household Consumption: $543 per year
• Life Expectancy: 56 years
• Human Development: ranked 157th out of 169 countries
Source: UNDP HDR 2011
The right to play a role in community lifeAlready highly active in Dire Dawa, Handicap International has joined an initiative to promote the role of disabled people within the community. It aims to increase the participation of disabled people in city life by ensuring their direct involvement and proper respect for their needs and expectations.
Our projects
 | Urban accessibility in Addis Ababa
This project is comprised of three activities:
• Ensuring the accessibility of certain schools and health centres in Addis Ababa.
• Raising the awareness of local stakeholders.
• Providing technical training to professionals. |
 | Improving rehabilitation services
This project aims to strengthen and develop physiotherapy services provided at hospitals in Dire Dawa and Jijiga, by providing practical training for recently qualified physiotherapists, and working in hospitals to upgrade technical resources and improve the referral system. |
 | Controlling HIV/AIDS
Handicap International is supporting an ambitious project to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS in eastern Ethiopia and Somaliland, adapted to the needs of migrant populations. The project aims to contain infection rates and promote the continuous cross-border care and monitoring of infected patients. Handicap International assists community associations and existing health services in the fields of prevention, testing, patient support, and medical care. |
 | Social inclusion
A project set up on the initiative of several disability associations in Dire Dawa that wanted a greater social involvement and a role in the city's development. Handicap International supports this initiative by providing technical assistance for awareness-raising activities, ensuring the specific needs of people with disabilities are taken into account in local projects, and through the creation of a system of coordination and consultation on this issue. |
 | Emergency Assistance
The Handicap International team is in a position to respond actively to emergency situations and thereby assist the communities with which it works. This was the case, for example, during flooding in August 2006 in Dire Dawa when Handicap International was able to provide assistance to more than 3,000 people affected by the disaster. |
