From Water Scarcity to Safe Care: Restoring Dignity at Zada Health Center
A health center serving more than 35,000 people Every morning, Katere Kaniko arrives at Zada Health Center carrying buckets. As the facility’s cleaner, she spent much of her day fetching and rationing water instead of cleaning rooms and helping maintain a safe environment for patients. For three years, this was the reality at Zada Health […]
Treating the Water, Not Just the Body: How Bereket and His Community Took Action
In Goldiya Kebele, Benatsemay District, South Ethiopia Region, Bereket Roro is known as both a hardworking farmer and a dedicated community health leader. Like many families in the area, his daily life revolves around nearby water sources, including the Surendo water points and Sefo Spring. For years, the community lived with what many described as […]
Ending the Cycle: How Community-Led Snail Mapping and Integrated Interventions Are Accelerating Schistosomiasis Elimination in Some Districts, Ethiopia
Eliminating schistosomiasis requires more than treating infection. It requires interrupting transmission at its source. In Ethiopia, where millions rely on rivers, ponds, and irrigation canals for daily life, repeated exposure to infested water sustains the cycle of infection despite years of Mass Drug Administration (MDA). While MDA has reduced the burden of disease and protected […]
From Snail Mapping to Community Action
Community-led action planning for interrupting schistosomiasis transmission in Southern, Central and South West Ethiopia Across rural Ethiopia, rivers, ponds, and irrigation canals are part of daily life. Communities rely on these water sources for washing, bathing, farming, and play. But these same waters can also carry invisible risks. Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease transmitted when […]
What Happens When Seeking Healthcare Feels Riskier Than Staying Silent?
For millions of women around the world, a visit to the clinic is not just about pain or symptoms – it is about fear. Fear of being judged. Fear of being misunderstood. Fear of being labelled with a sexually transmitted infection they may not even have. Fear that speaking up will cost them dignity, trust, […]
Seeing the Challenge Up Close: Daniel’s Reflections from Ethiopia
For Prof. Daniel Sher, joining NALA’s recent research trip to Ethiopia was a turning point. After years of studying marine organisms, from bacteria and algae to corals and jellyfish, he felt that he wants to apply his research lab’s skills to help address neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). “You don’t really understand a water body until […]
Learning from the Rivers: How Research and Local Wisdom Guide NALA’s Work in Ethiopia
Our recent research trip to Ethiopia brought together NALA’s science team and partner researchers for a ten day journey through rivers, schools, and universities. The goal was simple and essential: understand the realities behind the data and strengthen collaboration with local researchers. For Prof. Daniel Sher, a marine biology researcher from the University of Haifa, […]
Bench Sheko: From Disease Reduction to Sustainable Prevention
Since 2017, the collaboration between Merck, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and NALA has achieved one of the strongest reductions in schistosomiasis ever recorded in Ethiopia. In Mizan Aman, the capital of Bench Sheko, prevalence dropped by 89.9 percent. This result demonstrated the power of consistent health education, community engagement and coordinated local action. Today […]
Clean Water, Restored Dignity: Hana’s Story from Shochora Primary School
For eight years, Shochora Primary School in southern Ethiopia had no access to safe water. The school’s original water system, installed in 2011 through the Safety Net Program, was abandoned due to conflicts with the surrounding community. What remained was a daily struggle for students, especially girls. Hana Hailu, a 17-year-old student in Grade 8, […]
Conversation with 3 Religious Leaders in Adwa
“The NALA training woke me up,” commented Priest Hawas Gebremichael. “Before the training, I understood that my own personal hygiene was important, but the training paved the way for me to think about the importance of hygiene and sanitation for all the people in my church. I understand now that I can lead the way […]