Dr. Cray Ethiopia MEI Deliverables

In 2011 Ethiopia’s Federal Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Education (MOE) [in collaboration with Tulane University, five Ethiopian universities, WHO and JHPIEGO] developed strategies to address its health workforce challenges by introducing the Medical Education Initiative (MEI) to increase the country’s human resource for health, specifically the quantity and quality of medical doctors in Ethiopia. This included the opening of 13 new medical schools throughout the country. However, this effort has been hindered by the lack of qualified health professionals to serve as medical instructions for the new medical students. Consequently, in conjunction with the MOH, AIHA-VHC program set out to recruit PhDs in Basic Medical Science and MDs (GPs, specialist and sub-specialists) to serve as Medical Instructors to fill this urgent need and teach the next generation of Ethiopian doctors.

Dr. Cray was accepted into this highly selective program as a Medical Pharmacology Instructor and assigned to Madda Walabu College of Medicine and Health Sciences in Bale, Goba. As indicated, his service spanned one year, from September, 2015 through September, 2016. Throughout the course of the assignment Dr. Cray’s passion for teaching and giving, both in the classroom and the community, has been incessant. The Dean of Madda Walabu Medical School has assessed him as being “a professional medical teacher of the highest capacity, and an outstanding asset to the undergraduate medical education program”.

Dr. Cray’s patience, work ethic and professionalism are commendable, and American International Health Alliance has extended him the opportunity to serve a second term as one of our esteemed Volunteer Health Corps Medical Instructors for Ethiopia’s NIMEI (New Innovative Medical Education Initiative) program.

If I can be of further assistance in this matter please feel free to contact me at

khailu@aiha-et.com.

Kidest Hailu, MBA

Country Director, AIHA Ethiopia