Exterior of St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College building with people walking outside, parked cars, and trees in the foreground.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Principal investigators:Dr. Hailemichael Desalegn and Dr. Asgeir Johannessen

Locations: St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa

Description: In 2015, we established a treatment program for chronic hepatitis B in Addis Ababa, using a modified version of the European HBV guidelines. More than 1300 patients were enrolled and have been followed up since, of whom approximately 300 have received antiviral therapy. This program has given rise to numerous scientific publications and two Ethiopian PhD theses. In 2021/22, we initiated a scale-up program at four hospitals outside the capital, in close collaboration with the MoH. In this program we use a simplified treatment protocol, based on data from sub-Saharan Africa. We aim to enrol 6000 patients in this scale-up program and validate a simplified approach to hepatitis B treatment and care. 

A clinic scene with healthcare worker in blue scrubs and mask assisting a patient, a woman with head scarf, with a child. Two other individuals, one woman wearing a hijab and another man, are seen in the background. The room has two desks with papers, a wall clock, and a window.
Group of people wearing face masks sitting around a table with documents, notebooks, and pens, engaged in paperwork or discussion in an indoor setting.
A group of ten adults standing outside in front of a yellow metal container with trees and greenery around.
A woman is using a medical device to perform an ultrasound on a person's abdomen who is lying on a bed. The woman is focused on the device's screen, which displays ultrasound images.