Bethune Round Table 2024

The Bethune Round Table 2024 will be held in the capital and largest city in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. It is the educational and administrative centre of Ethiopia and the site of Addis Ababa University that contains several teacher-training colleges and technical schools. Also located in the city are the Museum of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies and the Yared School of Music, both of which are operated by the University, the National Library and Archives, Palaces of former Emperors, and Government Ministries.

The Theme: "Violence and Injury in the context of Sustainable Development"

The Bethune Round Table (BRT) is a highly anticipated annual interdisciplinary meeting dedicated to tackling the challenges of delivering accessible, high-quality surgical care to marginalized patients in low-resource settings. The BRT provides a platform for health professionals from diverse disciplines to convene and exchange knowledge, experiences, and ideas on improving healthcare outcomes in under-serviced regions.

Learning Objectives

Here are the main objectives of the event:

Understand the contribution of improving Injury care towards achieving the UN sustainable Development Goal.
Determine the key factors in enhancing the human resource capacity in emergency and surgical care.
Recognize the gaps in the continuum of injury care and map possible intervention areas.

SPECIAL PROMOTION! Book all your travel through Ethiopian Airlines here to receive a 20% discount on your ticket to Addis Ababa.

Thanks to our sponsors

Follow #BRT2024 on Social Media

What is special about BRT 2024?

Free virtual tuition for abstracts accepted from LMICs. Limited spots available!
Publication for the top 40 abstracts adjudicated by the review panel, in the Canadian Journal of Surgery.

See submission guidelines here.

Submit your abstract here.

Meet this year's Team

Dr. Tsegazeab Laeke- BRT 2024 Organizing committee lead
Event Coordinator - Azeb Kebede

Email: info@ipifa-africa.org
Phone: +251 987226604 or +251 927203473
Dr. Ribka Beleat- BRT-2024 Organizing committee member Intern @IPIFA
Dr. Arsema Goytom- BRT-2024 Organizing committee member Intern @ IPIFA
Dr. Seye Mesfin, BRT- 2024 Organizing committee member
Meseret Abeza - Nurse, BRT 2024 Organizing committee member
Dr. Aemon Berhane- BRT 2024 Co-organizer

MD, Co-organizer

Medical doctor, global surgery enthusiast

Meet Our Scientific Committee

Dr. Atalel Fentahun Awedew

MD, MPH, Ass.Prof of Surgery. Department of Surgery, Debre Tabor University
Dr. Atalel holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from Jimma University, specializing in General Surgery at Addis Ababa University, and also earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Addis Ababa Medical and Business College. His research interests primarily focus on Evidence-based Medicine, Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Global Surgery, Global Public Health, and Clinical Research. In addition to his academic pursuits, He is actively involved in editorial roles within the scientific community. He serves as an Academic Editor for prestigious journals such as PLOS One and BMC Surgery, as well as an Associate Editor for Visceral Frontier. Furthermore, he contributes as a peer reviewer for numerous esteemed international journals, providing valuable insights and feedback on a wide range of research topics.
Dr. Meheret Befekadu Demmissie

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon at ALERT Comprehensive Specialized Hospital
Dr. Meheret is a young, female plastic and reconstructive surgeon from Ethiopia who has been in the medical field for the past 14 years. She earned a subspecialty certificate in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery from Addis Ababa University & earned a General Surgery Specialty Certificate from Mekelle University. She recently completed a fellowship in Microsurgery and Reconstructive surgery from the Canton Hospital Aarau in Switzerland. She is the youngest and first female President of the Ethiopian Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons(ESPRS). She is also the CEO and cofounder of Easy-MED digital health P.L.C., a start-up company aiming to digitalize the Ethiopian Health care field.
In addition to the ESPRS, Dr. Meheret is an active member of the Ethiopian Medical Association (EMA), Surgical Society of Ethiopia(SSE) and Women in Surgery Ethiopia(WISE).
Dr. Dominique Vervoort

MD, MPH, CPH, MBA, PhD Candidate in Health Systems Research - Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto MSt Candidate in Practical Ethics - University of Oxford
Dr. Dominique Vervoort is a PhD Candidate in Health Systems Research at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto, focusing on Health Technology Assessment in cardiac surgery, and concurrently pursuing an MSt in Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford. He previously completed his MD at the KU Leuven and his MPH/MBA dual degree at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School as a Fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation, and was inducted into the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health in recognition of his global and public health work throughout the pandemic. Dominique completed the Paul Farmer Global Surgery Fellowship at the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change at Harvard Medical School, working with Ministries of Health on National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anaesthesia Plans (NSOAPs) in Pakistan and West Africa, and studying access to cardiac surgical care around the world.
He has published over 200 peer-reviewed publications in leading cardiovascular, surgical, and global health journals, and serves on the Editorial Board of multiple high-impact cardiovascular and health services research journals.

Are you attending BRT-2024 In-person?

Unlock your 20% travel discount by booking with Ethiopian Airlines. Click and book now!

Promo code- ETH79

Welcome to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

City Parks Attracting Tourists, Boosting Economy - ENA English

Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa, region of East Africa. It shares borders with Ertirea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east and southwest, Kenya to the south, South Sudan to the west, and Sudan to the northwest. Ethiopia covers a land area of 1,112,000 square kilometres (472,000 sq. miles). As of 2023, it is home to around 128 million inhabitants, making it the 13th most-populous country in the world, the 2nd most populous in Africa after Nigeria, and the most populated landlocked country on Earth. The national capital and largest city, Addis Ababa, lies several kilometres west of the East African Rift that splits the country into the African and Somali tectonic plates. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia)

Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and the African Union and is often called the "African Capital" due to its historical, diplomatic, and political significance for the continent. Addis Ababa is an important administrative center not only for Ethiopia but also for the whole of Africa. The headquarters of the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa can both be found in the city. The United States and the European Union both have two delegations in Addis Ababa, one for bilateral relations with Ethiopia and one for the African Union. Ethiopia and its capital city have become a source of pride for the Pan-African movement due to its indigenous character and the legacy of the Abyssinian Empire.

The city is located at the southern foot of Mount Entoto, in the Entoto Mountains, at an elevation of about 8000 feet (2440 meters) above sea level, on a plateau that is crossed by numerous streams and surrounded by hills and mountains, in the geographic center of the country. The Entoto Mountains are home to numerous churches, a museum of religious costume, and a park. Ecologically, Addis Ababa is a grassland biome, which is a climatically and geographically defined area of similar communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms.

Addis Ababa is the educational and administrative center of Ethiopia. It is the site of Addis Ababa University and contains several teacher-training colleges and technical schools. Also located in the city are the Museum of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies and the Yared School of Music, both of which are operated by the university; the National Library and Archives; palaces of former emperors; and government ministries. Several international organizations have their headquarters in the city, notably the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the latter of which is located in Africa Hall. (https://www.britannica.com/place/Addis-Ababa)

Unity Park, Ethiopian historical places all in one park!

Located within the National Grand Palace, Unity Park offers travelers the opportunity to learn about nature and Ethiopian history and culture. Here, you can view historical buildings and artifacts, learn about indigenous plants at the traditional garden, and check out the exotic animals at the zoo, including the endemic black mane lion. There are also a couple of restaurants or cafes where you can refuel throughout the day. You need a ticket to enter the park, but there are various packages available that include a palace tour and even photography. You can visit on a full-day Addis Ababa city tour, that includes admission to the park. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293791-d19283853-Reviews-Unity_Park-Addis_Ababa.html

Entoto Park

Historically, Entoto Mountain was a palace and the royal court to Emperor Menelik in the 1800s. The mountain serves as the “lung of Addis Ababa” because the dense forest regulates the climate condition of the city. Later, the Ethiopian Prime Minister started Entoto Natural park of Addis Ababa as a tourist attraction .

The park is a unique natural sight in a mountain area for relaxation and pleasure. It is at the north edge of Addis Ababa at an altitude of 2600m to 3200 meters. Now, the Park is fully delivering services with many indoor and outdoor adventure and recreational activities. In other words, visitors of the park can get services from the best service providers. Moreover, the recreational adventure and tourist attraction sights also open for visitors. In addition, the park is suitable for families or group visitors to cook by themselves and stay at a tented camp. Likewise, Entoto Park has a standard Amphitheatre and playing ground.https://www.ethiopiatourisms.com/entoto-natural-park-of-addis-ababa/

Sheger Park

Sheger Park (Amharic: ሸገር ፓርክ), also known as Friendship Park, is the biggest urban park in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The park is located in the political center of Addis Ababa where government offices as the Prime Minister and parliament are next to and close by. The park has an artificial lake, a square to gather and also water fountain lights at nighttime. It also contains lots of flowers with diverse species of flora. It is to note that such a project has helped Addis Ababa to greenify more and help Addis Ababa as a city enter Bloomberg's "Best Climate Projects" for a competing to enter into 2022 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards in the future.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheger_Park

Addis Ababa University

Addis Ababa University (AAU) was established in 1950 as the University College of Addis Ababa and is the oldest and the largest higher learning and research institution in Ethiopia. Since inception, the University has been the leading center in teaching-learning, research and community services. AAU currently has 48,673 students, including 33,940 undergraduate, 13,000 graduate and 1733 PhD students, and 6043 staff, including 2,408 academics and 3,635 support staff. In its 14 campuses, the University runs 70 undergraduate and 293 graduate programs, including 72 PhD and 221 Masters, and various specializations in Health Sciences. Over 222,000 students have graduated from AAU since its establishment. In recent years, the University has been undertaking various reform schemes in order to cope with and respond to the fast changing national and international educational dynamics. At present the University has 10 colleges, 4 institutes that run both teaching and research, and 6 research institutes that predominantly conduct research. Within these academic units, there are 55 departments, 12 centers, 12 schools, and 2 teaching hospitals. http://www.aau.edu.et/

Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, College of Health Sciences

Black Lion (Tikur Anbessa) Specialized Hospital, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University is the largest referral hospital in Ethiopia. It was established in 1964, and is now the main teaching center for both clinical and preclinical training of most disciplines. It is also an institution where specialized clinical services that are not available in other public or private institutions are rendered to the whole nation. The various departments, faculties and residents under specialty training in the School of Medicine provide patient care in the hospital. In addition, almost all regional and federal hospitals in Addis Ababa are affiliated to the School of Medicine as clinical services and training sites. http://www.aau.edu.et/chs/tikur-anbessa-specialized-hospital/background-of-tikur-anbessa-hospital/

AaBET Hospital

Addis Ababa Burn, Emergency & Trauma Hospital (AaBET Hospital) is an affiliate of St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College and is inclusive of four major departments; Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, Plastic Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Orthopedics & Traumatology, and Neurosurgery. AaBET Hospital is a progressive and successfully managed upper-level teaching hospital with 190 and 190 bed-ward departments as well as a center for traumatology, physiotherapy, and spinal disorders. Our facility is recognized as one of the largest government-based trauma & emergency center in the country.https://aabethospitalet.wixsite.com/aabethospitalet