Our Mission
The College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) is committed in providing societal needs tailored education, problem-based research and relevant community services.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be the leading health institution in education, health service and research in East Africa by the year 2020.
Our Work
The College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) has a referral teaching hospital with 400 beds, and currently is constructing a G+5 maternal and child care hospital, best standard TB ward and laboratory, G+2 eye hospital and Fistula center, and a general hospital that can give all other health services. In addition to the hospital service, through TTP programs CMHS is providing outreach health services for about 50,000 households in five sites (Debark, Dabat, Koladeba, Addis Zemen and Woreta).
We also provide a range of community services through innovative health care services such as the continuous care for the chronic illness; the community based rehabilitation (CBR) service; and services geared towards the prevention of HIV/AIDS, TB infections and their related problems. Another main service is provided by Kalazar project which has its own clinic with 24 beds for new drug trial and patient’s treatment – currently serving 288 patients per annum in the University Hospital.
Alongside research activities being undertaken by our various Departments, CMHS also houses Dabat Research Center. The Center, which has been operating since 1995, is conducting a longitudinal demographic and health surveillance on 50,000 populations.
Currently the College offers about 11 undergraduate degree and 34 postgraduate programs. A PhD program in Public Health has also been recently launched in collaboration with Addis Ababa Continental Institute of Public Health. Our College is made up of:
- Institute of Public Health
- School of Medicine
- School of Pharmacy
- School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences
- Department of Nursing
- Department of Midwifery
- Department of Physiotherapy
- Department of Optometry
Please visit the relevant information to find out more about their work.
Awards and Recognition
CMHS obtained different awards for its long standing contribution in the field of health.
In 1998 the “Global Sasakawa Health Prize” was awarded to the College by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva in recognition of its experience of training, producing competent health manpower, innovative health care delivery system and undertaking relevant researches.
We have also received a certificate of merit and cup for 50 years of outstanding service to public health in Ethiopia through human power development, research and innovative practice. Other awards include PARTEC world AIDS day award 2008 and the achievement of STAR-III level WHO Afro-Accreditation Standard for our laboratory.
Our Background
The current College of Medicine and Health Sciences grew out of the Gondar Public Health College and Training Center (PHC and TC) established in 1954. It is the oldest medical training institution in the country and located in the historical town of Gondar. The establishment of the PHC and TC was dictated by the pressing and enormous health problems that existed in the forties and early fifties. The aim of the Public Health and Training Centre was training of teams of middle-level health personnel. This was the start of the philosophy of team approach and community based teaching of health professionals. Until 1960, the Ministry of Health was responsible for the college. In 1961, the college joined the then Haile Selassie I University, now known as Addis Ababa University, by the act of internal decree known as “Charter of Haile Sellassie I University”. In 1978, announcements were made for the establishment of a Medical Faculty in the Gondar College of Public Health and Training Centre by bilateral agreement reached between Karl Marx’s University in Germany and Addis Ababa University. It was a landmark in the lengthy history of the College as it was a major transformation that resulted in the practical establishment of the medical education. In the academic year 1980/81, the name Gondar College of Medical Sciences was given to the Gondar Public health college and training center (GPHC&TC). Training was given by German medical experts. It was also an opportunity for successive training of Ethiopians in Germany to substitute the German specialists to whom the college’s success is fully attributed. The college was given autonomy to stand by itself (separated from Addis Ababa University) in 1992.
Contact Us
If you would like to learn more about our work please contact:
- Name:
- Dr Sisay Yifru
- Job Title
- Dean, College of Medicine and Health Science
- Tel (office):
- +251 581110243
- Email:
- sisaydr@yahoo.com