Background of College of Medicine and Health Sciences

Established in October 2007, the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) at Bahir Dar University is a leading academic and research institution in Ethiopia dedicated to advancing healthcare education, services, and research. Originally founded to train medical doctors, it has grown into a multidisciplinary institution encompassing five academic directorates: Medicine, Public Health, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory, and Nursing and Midwifery Education and Services.

CMHS currently offers 53 academic programs: 9 undergraduate and 44 postgraduate, including specialty, specialty, master's, PhD, and certificate programs, with an enrollment of over 2,291 students. The college is also home to 26 international students, primarily from South Sudan and Somaliland.

With two campuses at Tibebe Ghion and Felege Hiwot, CMHS serves as a hub for quality education and advanced medical care. Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital (TGSH) inaugurated in 2018, provides tertiary services and is one of Ethiopia’s five national centers of excellence for Emergency and Critical Care services. It is equipped with over 500 beds, 14 operating rooms, 20 ICU beds, and cutting-edge diagnostic technologies such as a 3T MRI and 128-slice CT scan.

The college is guided by its vision of becoming a leading health institution for teaching, research, and medical service excellence in Africa. Its mission focuses on enhancing societal health through innovative, evidence-based care and education. CMHS upholds values such as excellence, community-centeredness, ethical service, innovation, and internationalization.

CMHS has currently initiated eight Centers of Excellence such as Emergency and Critical Care, Neurosciences, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Nutrition, Women and Children’s Health, Trauma and Burn, WASH, and Disease Prevention and Control. The CMHS activities are guided by the 10-year strategic plan (2013–2022 E.C.).

In research, CMHS leads numerous initiatives aligned with national priorities, including thematic focuses on communicable and non-communicable diseases, health systems, nutrition, and environmental health. Its flagship research facilities include the Tana Research and Diagnostic Center (TRDC), the Mecha Demographic and Surveillance Field Research Center, the Microbiology and Parasitology research laboratory at Felegehiwot Campus, and TGSH (center for clinical research and big data). 

Regarding research findings dissemination practices, the CMHS of BDU plays a significant role in the university's international visibility and achieving the University's vision to be one of the leading Research-Intensive Universities in Africa and the first choice in Ethiopia by 2030. Annually, the college ranks first in publishing research findings in peer-reviewed, reputable journals. 

CMHS actively collaborates with over 40 local and international partners and holds memberships in global networks such as the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH), Consortium of New Sub-Saharan African Medical Schools CONSAMS, Consortium of Medical Schools in Africa (CoMSA), and Australia-Africa Universities Network (AAUN).

Looking forward, CMHS envisions establishing a medical city, becoming a regional hub for medical tourism, and developing the Tis Esat International Convention Center near the Blue Nile Falls. The college remains “Dedicated to Excellence, Committed to Care.”