The Ethiopia Ministry of Health (MoH) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) International Health Regulations Strengthening Project (IHR-SP) held a workshop in Addis Ababa from 5-9 November, to finalise the National Poisoning Management Guidelines.

These guidelines provide healthcare professionals with the tools and knowledge required to manage acute poisoning incidents effectively, ensuring better care and improved health outcomes. This aligns with the broader objective of enhancing public health systems across Ethiopia by promoting the development and application of standardised, evidence-based guidelines for poisoning management.

To achieve this, the workshop brought together the Technical Working Group of 22 healthcare professionals from a wide range of sectors – Government, Ethiopia’s Public Health Institute and poisoning centre, hospitals and academia.

Participants took part in an in-depth exploration of the Poisoning Management Guidelines including reviewing and finalising content, discussing best practices, and ensuring that the guidelines meet the current needs of healthcare providers in Ethiopia. The Technical Working Group was central to these discussions, to ensure that the guidelines are comprehensive, practical and were tailored to Ethiopia’s needs. In addition to in-person participation, the workshop benefitted from virtual support from IHR-SP’s UK Technical Advisors, ensuring the guidelines reflect international best practices.

The finalised guidelines will create a foundation for future training programmes, enabling healthcare providers to effectively address poisoning cases in their communities. One of the key outcomes of the event was the establishment of a network of trainers, capable of educating other healthcare workers and ensuring that the guidelines are disseminated widely across Ethiopia. The expertise of the technical working group will continue to play pivotal role in supporting this network and implementation of the guidelines.

Mr. Degisew Dersso – MoH / Emergency and Critical Care Desk Head said:

“Poisonings are a significant public health problem and one of the main causes of presentations to emergency departments. Therefore, cases of poisoning need to be promptly identified, triaged, and managed using standardised guidelines at the health facility level. The poisoning guidelines aim to equip health care professionals with the necessary knowledge, skills, and practices to improve the quality of care. Additionally, it supports compliance with international regulations thereby enhancing health security. This workshop helps to us for finalisation of the poison management guidelines with technical working group, who are subject matter experts.”

This collaborative effort, supported by the MoH and UKHSA, will ultimately enhance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of poisoning, improving public health and safety nationwide.