Ethiopia must boost routine child immunisation to combat deadly diseases, the United Nations said on Thursday as the country began a major house-to-house polio campaign. Abdelmejid Tibouti, deputy head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that immunisations were vital to “protect each child” from easily preventable killer diseases.

Despite the much-touted existence of free primary school education which was introduced by the ruling United Democratic Front party in 1994, some primary schools in the country are said to be demanding that students pay K15 each every month to cater for water bills and watchmen’s salaries. It has been alleged that due to government’s failure to meet the costs the students are being asked to pay, according to The Chronicle newspaper.

We are once again announcing calling for interested individuals to register and or submit abstracts to the 1st International Students Conference on AIDS, scheduled for 2nd-6th of February 2004. The conference is organised by the steering committee of students from the Universities of Dar es Salaam, the Hubert Kairuki Memorial University and the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences and is going to be held at the University of Dar es Salaam Nkrumah and Nyerere halls.