EPPAD: A Brief History
Ethiopian Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in Diaspora (EPPAD) is a non-profit organization founded by experts in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The association founded mainly to bring pharmaceutical and allied professionals together to contribute to pharmacy education, practice service, and scholarship. The growing Ethiopian born Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in diaspora motivated founding members to form a formal professional association for Ethiopian pharmaceutical community in diaspora. The founding team conducts its first official meeting on April 25, 2018, to discuss the idea of establishing the association. On this first meeting, they agreed to form a team and approached other members to hold their first foundational meeting on May 10, 2018, and discussed the details of the formation of the professional association. The suggested name of the association was Ethiopian Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists Association in Diaspora, abbreviated as EPPAD that aspires to promote public health through pharmacy care in the US and Ethiopia..
Who EPPAD works with:
EPPAD primarily works with its members and allies to enhance professional competence and promote public health and pharmaceutical care. EPPAD also works with, pharmaceutical companies international organizations and sister associations to promote its mission and vision. The key links are pharmacy and allied professionals; institutions in the U.S and Ethiopia; businesses and NGOs involved in public health. EPPAD aspires to be a bridge between the diaspora and beneficiary groups in Ethiopia. Besides, there are individuals in different institutions/NGOs that are committed to being the link/liaison to identify and facilitate contacts to plan and implement support programs. Network members have long years of experience in providing individual or institutional support and technical assistance to the health and the pharmaceutical sector in Ethiopia. They can also be excellent sources of hands-on experience, best practices, and contact persons so that efforts bear fruit.
EPPAD’s work with:
EPPAD has been closely working with its sister associations (P2P, Diaspora Doctors Group, Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Association)) in facets of shared interest with the goal of supporting Ethiopia’s healthcare system as well as facilitating scientific knowledge exchange among fellow Ethiopian diaspora healthcare professionals in the US.
EPPAD’s progress to date
In the last one and a half year of its formation, EPPAD:
- Formed a committed team of the founding board and committee members (April 2018)
- Registered EPPAD as a 503C non-profit organization in the USA (July 2018) Developed a website and social media accounts on platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to engage members and key stakeholders (November 2018) Conducted a gathering of professionals to conceptualize illustrative activities to support pharmaceutical/health developments in the U.S and in Ethiopia (October 2018)
- Launched the inaugural Symposium of EPPAD (February 2019)
- Conducted professional development and guidance meeting to high school students, foreign pharmacy graduates, new graduates, and carrier changing aspirants (June 2019)
- Conducted a month-long consultation and philanthropy mission to Ethiopia (August 2019)
- Conducted a pharmaceutical investment forum (September 2019)
The Inaugural Symposium
On October 06, 2018, EPPAD convened its first consultative networking event by bringing together a cross-section of professionals. At this meeting, a consensus was reached to form working/interest groups that will coordinate the planning and implementation of interventions by mobilizing expertise, technology, resources, and investment in response to the current conducive political climate and address the many challenges of the pharmaceutical sector in Ethiopia. On February 16, 2019, a one-day inaugural symposium was held at the Ethiopian Embassy hall in Washington, DC. The Symposium attracted about 110 professional participants from different parts of the US. This event had a three-part program that included:
- remarks/keynote speeches by distinguished speakers from industry, academia, regulatory, and pharmacy practice;
- formation of thematic groups and development of action plans; and
- accredited continuing professional education for pharmacy practitioners on HIV & AIDS and medication safety with a focus on Ethiopia.