Chinese Acupuncture Training was conducted at College of Medicine and Health Sciences from October 23/2017 – November 3/2017.

The association “Acupuncture without borders” (AWB) with the help of Bahir Dar University College of Medicine and Health Sciences offers a training of Chinese Acupuncture. This training is open to health and medical practitioners: doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, midwives and Health Officers. A first cession is taking place in Bahar Dar at the moment (from the 23 of October till the 3d of November).

Why Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a very ancient Chinese healing method, easy to perform, very cheap and very powerful to treat all sorts of pain and functional diseases without any side effects. Rather than going against disease, Chinese Medicine reinforces the resources of the body so that it goes back to a state of health.

Who are the trainers?

Dr Marie-Alyette Fournel and Dr Claudine Mérer are two French medical doctors who belong to the association “Acupuncture without borders”. The aim of this association is to offer free training to people with a medical background, interested in humanitarian work with the poorest community in their country.

Numerous studies show that acupuncture can treat effectively many conditions. The WHO organisation is promoting Acupuncture in:

• the treatment of pain: arthritis, migraine, headaches, neurological pain, post-operative pain, dental pain, back and neck pain, sciatica, facial neuralgia, …
• uro-gynaecology: irregular periods, infertility, endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, hot flushes in menopause, labour pain and delivery, cystitis, kidney stones colitis, impotence…
• gastroenterology: gastritis, abdominal pain, intestinal inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome, gallbladder stones colics, …
• dermatology: eczema, urticaria, pruritis, acnea, …
• Pneumology and ENT: asthma, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, common cold and influenza, …
• Neurology: stroke, poly-neuropathy, restless legs syndrome, post zoster pain, trigeminal neuralgia, facial palsy, …
• Endocrinology : non insulino-dependant diabetis, dysthyroidy.

AWB organises a full basic training of 4 cessions of 2 weeks over a period of 2 years and provides afterwards an annual supervision to warranty a good practice quality from the trainees. The aim is also to train a few “trainees” to become themselves trainers and insure the continuity of acupuncture in Ethiopia. We are very grateful to Dr Mulunesh Abebe, Vice President for Research and Community Service, for her kind support in this project.

The second cession of this training is planned for next March or April. It will still be possible for new participants to join the group at this stage, and they will be welcomed with great pleasure.

If interested, Dr Marie-Alyette Fournel and Dr Claudine Mérer are available at the college of Medicine and Health Science, Felege Hiwot compass at In-Service Training Center, till Friday the 3d of November. Afterwards you can get in touch with Mengistu Desalegn, Coordinator of Education Development Center.