MaY 2025 Newsletter
Something BiG just happened in Ethiopia!
In our newsletters, we often share stories of progress and we are always so proud to celebrate them with you. However, this month, we want to return to the basics.
What challenges are we here to solve? What happens if we don’t? And how are we helping to build lasting solutions?
Keep reading to understand the deeper “why” behind ReachAnother’s work—and how small actions in one part of the world can spark lasting change in another.
Our Mission
Every year, 10,500 children in Ethiopia are born with neural tube defects caused by a lack of folic acid during early pregnancy. That’s 63 cases for every 10,000 births.
By contrast, there is only 1 case for every 10,000 births in the United States and 19 worldwide.
Without treatment and aftercare, many children won’t survive their first year. Those who do often face a lifetime of avoidable complications: infections, paralysis, incontinence, and deep social stigma.
This is where ReachAnother comes in. We have made it our mission to prevent and treat the high prevalence of neural tube defects in Ethiopia through a 3-prong approach. We focus on these critical pillars of change:
Prevention
Treatment
Aftercare
A Year of Impact and We can't Stop Now
2024 was our most impactful year yet. Over 2,000 children received life-saving neurosurgery. New aftercare programs took root. Ethiopian professionals led groundbreaking trainings. And the first-ever Pediatric Neurosurgery Center of Excellence opened its doors in Addis Ababa. We invite you to read our Annual Report to learn about what it takes to build a system that works.
FROM THE WORLD STAGE: ADVOCACY IN ACTION
In April 2024 in Geneva, our Country Director, Yakob Ahmed, spoke at a World Health Assembly side event about what it really takes to scale up national folic acid fortification—the most effective way to prevent neural tube defects.
He emphasized 3 keys to sustainable success:
- ✨ Advocacy and community ownership that ensures change is led from within
- ✨ Shared, visible data that drives smart policy decisions
- ✨ Resources that match the urgency, so solutions don’t stall out before they scale
VOICES FROM THE FIELD
We’re always energized when we receive messages like these because they’re proof that what we do works, and that it truly matters to those on the front lines of spina bifida and hydrocephalus care.
“The quality of care is improving day by day—the training made a difference, and our Spina Bifida coordinators are now the backbone of continuity of care”
“We’re truly excited about the developments over the past few months our Spina Bifida care coordinators are not only filling gaps, they’re building a system that works.”
“The team under RAF is making historical moments and transforming and unlocking pediatric neurosurgery …. to a level which we have never thought of and its a pleasure to be part of this transformation.”