TB currently kills 24,000 people per year in Ethiopia, which amounts to nearly 3 deaths every hour. But TB is both a treatable and preventable illness, and USAID is working in partnership with the Ethiopian people and the Federal Ministry of Health to eliminate this infectious scourge as fast as possible.
Today’s forty-six (46) machines are part of USAID’s commitment to supporting the people of Ethiopia to find and successfully treat ninety percent of TB cases nationwide—the first step to eliminating the disease all together. Today, epidemiologists estimate that there are roughly 160,000 cases of TB across Ethiopia. In addition to reducing the time it takes to diagnose TB from two days to two hours, the 46 new machines are also more accurate than routine, microscope-based methods.
In September 2019, USAID signed a statement of partnership agreement with the Federal Ministry of Health to accelerate our joint effort to end TB. This event showcases that partnership.
Today’s donation of cutting-edge tuberculosis (TB) testing machines is just a part of the United States’ investment of over $4.2 billion in development aid in the last 5 years alone. Together, the United States is helping millions of Ethiopians lift themselves out of poverty and is supporting their health and wellness for a brighter future.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.