Add Capacity! For CURE Ethiopia Children’s Hospital

This Christmas, CURE International UK is raising vital funds for its partner, the CURE Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia. Many of you know this hospital, perhaps even in a personal capacity, and you will know the incredible and essential work that is taking place there every day.

We work hard to communicate the inspiring stories of healing taking place at CURE Ethiopia, telling our supporters of the incredible transformations through surgical intervention, which for children with treatable disabilities in Ethiopia, are nothing short of life changing.

Surgery is of course front centre when we are talking about a child’s treatment at CURE Ethiopia. An intervention which can straighten a child’s leg, release a burn contracture, or repair a cleft palate, returns agency to that child by way of improved mobility, confidence and life chances, all whilst reducing and removing the physical and emotional pain associated with disability.

From then to now: Hasset came to CURE Ethiopia in 2020 for treatment of her cleft lip and palate

CURE conservatively estimates that there are 2.7 million children in Ethiopia suffering with disabilities that can be treated surgically.

Ethiopia’s healthcare system is severely under-resourced to meet this dire need. This lack of healthcare infrastructure to tackle the burden of surgical disease, means that the vast majority of these children go untreated, and are subjected to a lifetime of disability, pain and shame. 

CURE Ethiopia is now 20 years old and in need of expanding not only to preserve the high-quality medical care it offers, but to increase the number of children who can be impacted physically and spiritually. The demand for its services continues to grow and—coupled with the impact of capacity limitations due to COVID-19—is steadily increasing its waiting list (which is currently 5,000 children and a five year wait)

CURE Ethiopia remains the only hospital in the country dedicated to treating the orthopaedic, plastic and maxillofacial needs of children with treatable disabilities like  untreated clubfoot, bowed legs, burn contractures, cleft lips and palates, and other treatable conditions. In its last financial year CURE Ethiopia provided 3,113 life-changing surgeries to children.

Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Laurence performing a distal femur osteotomy on Arsemawit’s left leg

Because of the hospital’s unique capabilities and exceptional reputation, its services have outgrown the current facilities and awareness of the hospital’s proficiency for paediatric treatment continues to spread. In order to meet the great demand on its services, CURE Ethiopia needs to maximise its facilities to increase surgical capacity.

That is why, this Christmas CURE International UK is aiming to raise £20,000 to purchase new and upgraded medical equipment for CURE Ethiopia Children’s Hospital! What’s more, we will be raising funds through the Big Give Christmas Challenge. 

The Big Give Christmas Challenge is the UK’s biggest match funding campaign. For seven days, it offers supporters of participating charities the opportunity to have their donation doubled

The campaign will start on Giving Tuesday, 29th November, and you will have one week to make a donation and have your gift doubled! Take a sneak peek at our campaign page here: uk.cure.org/addcapacity

We would really appreciate your support this Christmas, helping us reach our target of £20,000 to purchase essential hospital equipment for CURE Ethiopia. So, save the date, bookmark the campaign page, do whatever you need to do, so you can take part in our appeal this Christmas. 

Equipped: A C-arm x-ray image of how orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Tewodros and his team corrected Mihret’s right bow leg

Well-maintained facilities and modern medical equipment contribute significantly to safe and consistent outcomes for CURE patients. The equipment will upgrade CURE Ethiopia’s hospital infrastructure to enhance surgical capacity, in-patient and follow up care, contributing to the expansion of the hospitals’ facilities to provide 600 additional children with free corrective surgery in 2023 and an additional 700 in 2024 (1,200 total).

Because of your donation this Christmas, CUREkids for years to come—undoubtedly many not even born yet—will benefit from improved and upgraded medical equipment. CURE Ethiopia is building itself up today to meet the needs of tomorrow’s generation.

Photo of the Melissa Hall

About the Author:

Melissa joined CURE UK in June 2021, heading up Marketing, Communications, and Events. On her visit to CURE Children's Hospital of Zimbabwe in September 2022 she experienced the people and the environment that makes a CURE hospital so special! She makes every effort to communicate this to readers everywhere.