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How One Program is Transforming Women’s Health In Western Ethiopia Our quiet efforts have now garnered loud applause! This year, our dedicated partners swiftly achieved remarkable success by screening, transporting, and surgically healing 275 women dealing with the gynecological consequences of childbirth—with 250 overcoming significant pelvic organ prolapse (POP), and another 25 successfully treated for fistula with our Screen Transport and Treat Program. In under half a year, we hit our annual treatment milestone. During recent years, our program’s efforts have been focused in the Kelem Wollega and West Wollega Zones of western Ethiopia. Despite the challenges posed by ongoing military conflict,… Read More »How One Program is Transforming Women’s Health In Western Ethiopia

For the past six years, Village Health Partnership (VHP) and the Rotary clubs of Northeastern Colorado have collaborated to address critical health issues in rural Ethiopia with our focus of saving mothers and children, as well as improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). It is a partnership grounded in principles of human rights, collaboration, and sustainable programs.There are 60 Rotary clubs in district D5450 and we have partnered with eight that have contributed financially— and in two cases programmatically.  These partnerships, beginning in 2018, have been instrumental in addressing the most pressing challenges faced by several communities in rural Ethiopia. By… Read More »How Rotary Club Partnerships Bring Hope to Remote Ethiopian Villages

For this IWD, WorldDenver recognizes Dr. Margaret “Migs” Muldrow, through Village Health Partnership, as an individual honoree for her deep commitment to advancing maternal health in Ethiopia. As the Founder and President of Village Health Partnership, Migs has worked actively with community leaders both domestic and abroad to shine a light on maternal healthcare in rural western and southwestern Ethiopia. Thank you for your support! Read her acceptance speech here: I’m going to tell you a story.  Some parts of the story are shocking and horrible, but I’m going to tell you the story—not to sensationalize things, but to give… Read More »Spotlight Shines On Women Of Rural Ethiopia

There and Back Again: A Doctor’s Inspiring Tale (In Her Own Words) Village Health Partnership was highlighted yesterday as Dr. Margaret “Migs” Muldrow was presented with an individual honoree award at the WorldDenver International Women’s Day Event for her vital work in improving maternal health in Southwestern Ethiopia.  If you missed her impactful speech please tune in to her interview on Colorado Public Radio.

We are overjoyed to share this update about the successful completion of a collaborative effort to bring solar power to the Bachuma District Hospital, thanks to the unwavering support of the community, the Zonal Government, Suntransfer Tech, the Solar Energy Foundation, Water Engineers for the Americas and Africa and the Village Health Partnership. This project, which began with the dream of providing consistent electricity to the hospital’s operating room theatre, labor and delivery and neonatal intensive care unit, has become a shining reality. The journey began in January, 2023, when the solar panels were manufactured in Germany. After an expedition… Read More »Solar Power Illuminates a Bright Future for the Bachuma District Hospital

Meretu, a resident of Dandi Gudi Kebele in Ethiopia, endured seven years of hardship living with a vesicovaginal fistula (VVF). Married at a young age, she suffered complications during her first childbirth, resulting in a fistula and constant urine leakage.Living with the fistula, Meretu’s life became a daily struggle. The constant wetness and odor caused shame and isolation. She feared social interactions, avoided gatherings, and felt ostracized by friends and family. Drinking less to control leakage led to concentrated and foul-smelling urine, further deepening her isolation.The maternal health crisis manifests in conditions like fistula, a hole between the birth canal… Read More »Meretu’s story: A life transformed

The VHP – Ethiopia Nurse Midwife Program: An Analysis of Test Scores, 2021 – 2023 (with implications for mentoring) by Peter Van Arsdale, VHP (Executive Summary, December, 2023) Introduction: As noted in the Village Health Partnership (VHP) October, 2021, trip report, a number of nurse midwives (NMWs) in the remote Suri region of s.w. Ethiopia’s West Omo Zone (WOZ) were not passing the most basic skill checks.  Others also were struggling.  Five from Suri were sent to the Mizan Tepi University Teaching Hospital (MTUTH) for training, but failed the certification test.  At that time, in consultation with our MTUTH colleague… Read More »Ethiopia Nurse Midwife Program: