Background
icipe started its operations in Ethiopia in 1993, when a chartered agreement was signed between the Centre and the Ethiopian Transitional Government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by icipe Founding Director, Prof. Thomas Risely Odhiambo, and the then Ethiopian Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr Tamirat Layne.
Subsequent agreements were signed between icipe and various implementing partners in Ethiopia, including the ministries of agriculture, health, education and capacity building; the Science and Technology Commission (now Ministry of Science and Technology), and Addis Ababa University.
These arrangements mandated icipe to contribute to Ethiopia’s development by introducing the Centre’s portfolio of technologies under the 4-H research themes: animal health, human health, environmental health and plant health.
As an entry point, icipe, with the support of the regional government and Science and Technology Commission, established a tsetse fly and trypanosomiasis control programme in the Southern Regional State, Wolayta Zone, Sodo Bedessa District, primarily consisting of the deployment of 1000 tsetse traps.
Scaling-up of Operations
Based on the significant impact of this intervention, which included significant reduction in tsetse infestation and trypanosomiasis prevalence, the Science and Technology Commission requested icipe to scale-out the programme to Guarage Zone, Ghibe Valley, in particular the Luke catchment.
In partnership with Biovision Foundation, Switzerland, icipe then focussed its attention on Tolay, Jimma Zone, achieving significant impact in animal health, which led to requests for interventions in malaria control.
As a result, the Centre commenced integrated vector management (IVM) for malaria in 2008. In 2011, icipe introduced modern beekeeping programme in Tolay catchment (in partnership with Biovision Foundation) and in Tigray Region (through funding from IFAD). With the support of the European Union, icipe has also recently started research bee health and pollination, in Oromia, Southern, and Tigray Region, which includes the establishment of Holeta Bee Research Centre as a regional satellite laboratory for bee health in Africa.
In 2013, icipe and Biovision Foundation introduced the Centre’s innovative push-pull technology (www.push-pull.net) to regions of Ethiopia with high stemborer and striga infestation in Tolay, Amhara, Tigray, Benshangul Gumuze and Eastern Oromiya regions.
Current Plans
icipe’s current plans include a pilot programmes towards enhanced tsetse fly control, and the commencement of fruit fly integrated pest management (IPM) activities through the Centre's Integrated Biological Control Applied Research Program (IBCARP), in partnership with relevant institutions in Ethiopia. icipe also plans to introduce IPM projects for chickpea and maize pests in Ethiopia.
icipe conducts continuous monitoring and evaluation of its activities in Ethiopia, to ensure maximum benefit to intended beneficiaries. Moreover, the icipe Ethiopia office has established itself as a leader in capacity building for farmers, mid and high level professionals, with more than 50 Ethiopians earning PhDs in different disciplines.
Contact details:
PO Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: +251-116-172-596
Email: ttefera@icipe.org