The following is an excerpt from a September 23, 2022 BBC article, published in honor of the new Ethiopian calendar year of 2015. Amharic BBC asked five questions to six Ethiopian women in different fields of science, including Dr. Ruth Diriba, Last Mile Health Technical Consultant and Medical Expert.
In your field, what happ
ened or was created in 2014 E.C. that impressed you?
For more than a century, attempts have been made to find a vaccine for malaria. The vaccine was discovered and announced recently. As it has the ability to prevent up to 80% of malaria, it promises to reduce the number of children who die from the disease. In 2014, it was a discovery that surprised me and gave me hope.
What do you consider your greatest success from all the things you have accomplished in 2014 E.C.?
My biggest achievement was being involved in the design and implementation of the unique Blended Learning, a first-of-its-kind application by the Ministry of Health and Last Mile Health that provides digital training for health extension workers.
What is your plan for 2015 E.C?
If God wills it, in 2015, I have plans to participate in work that improves the health of children, and to do work that focuses on the community and health extension workers.
What are three books that you read in 2014 E.C. and recommend to people? What are three movies you recommend?
Books that I would recommend:
- Winning with People [John C. Maxwell]
- The Checklist Manifesto [Atul Gawande]
- Our Iceberg is Melting [Holger Rathgeber and John Kotter]
The movies that I would recommend are ‘Fractured’, ‘Unforgivable’ and ‘Sweet girl’.
