Press Conference to launch NALA- Merck- Ethiopian FMoH Collaboration

The official launch of the NALA –Merck- Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) Collaboration took place on December 13 in the presence of the Israeli Ambassador, NALA’s collaborating partners in Ethiopia and representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO). The atmosphere was vibrant as the group pledged to take on the challenge of tackling schistosomiasis in the Bench Maji zone, an area selected by the FMoH due to very high disease prevalence. As Merck celebrates the 10 year anniversary of its Praziquantel Donation Program, it became clear to them that a second step of deterring reinfection was necessary, and NALA’s model of health education and community involvement fills this gap. Our partners from the WHO called this a groundbreaking project and hoped that other pharmaceutical companies would follow suit.