Frequently Asked Questions

CURE Ethiopia provides medical care for all children living with treatable disabilities regardless of economic status, ethnicity or religion. Click here to see the types of conditions we treat.

CURE Ethiopia is a children’s orthopedic and plastic surgery hospital and provides holistic services for the following conditions

Assessment of Elecive Plastic Surgery conditions:

• Cleft lip/palate: including general pediatric, related nutrition problems, hearing and cleft speech problems associated with cleft lip/palate
• Joint contractures due to previous burn injuries

Assessment of Elective Orthopaedic conditions:

• Clubfoot, for infant and older children
• Limb deficiency syndromes of the upper and lower limbs
• Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip joint in infants and children
• Bone defects and joint problems as a result of infection
• Post-natal brachial plexus palsy
• Congenital tibial pseudarthrosis, non-unions, limb length discrepancy
• Scoliosis spine conditions in childhood
• Angular deformity around the knee joint
• Joint conditions such as dislocation, stiffness and deformity due to neuromuscular conditions

Whilst we endeavour to assess and manage all orthopaedic conditions in childhood we do not treat the following:

• Acute burns
• Trauma to the thoracic, abdominal cavities or the head and spine.
• Acute or uncomplicated chronic infection of the skeleton
• Malignant bone tumors
• Epilepsy
• Children who are non-walkers

Children with combined musculoskeletal problems and malnutrition is common. To reduce surgical risk, treatment of malnutrition is a treatment priority. In some cases this can delay the surgical treatment.

If you have previously had surgical treatment for an orthopaedic condition from another centre, it is usually best to return to the same centre as the surgeon in charge of your care will have records and a greater understanding of your health complaint.

All medical care is provided through the generous contributions of CURE donors, our non-profit partners, and insurance programs. Children will be treated by our clinical team without charge or debt created, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or economic status.

To learn more about how to receive care at CURE Ethiopia, click here.

If you’d like to donate and help sponsor a child’s surgery, click here.

We are very happy to accept patients with a referral letter from a doctor. If you are in doubt whether we treat a particular condition, please review the section entitled ‘what conditions do you treat?’ Patients presenting without a referral letter may be asked to obtain one. Please note that there are an increasing number of providers of paediatric orthopaedic care in Ethiopia and one closer to your home location may be available.

Our clinical and ministry staff travel to areas beyond our hospitals to:

• Find and refer children in remote areas for treatment at CURE hospitals
• Provide training for doctors and nurses in partnering hospitals and clinics.
• Educate healthcare workers, pastors and churches, political authorities, and partner organizations who are active at the community level and able to effect change.

Click here to find the mobile clinic nearest you.

If your child has a cleft lip or palate, they may need urgent nutritional help. This can be accessed on a walk in basis to the CURE Hospital in Addis Ababa. A referral is not required.

Whilst we wish to see all orthopaedic patients as soon as possible for their conditions, as a result of the demand, we do have to prioritise patients according to clinical urgency.

We ask that all orthopaedic patients obtain a referral letter from a doctor before attending the CURE clinic. If you do not obtain a letter, the clinic staff may ask you to obtain this.

The referral letter review and a triage review will be considered when prioritizing clinic appointments with a surgeon.

If the consultant surgeon recommends surgery, then the condition and proposed treatment will be discussed. An admission date for treatment will be provided. Please contact us if you can not make the journey for admission or the child is ill, for example has a cough and cold or is taking antibiotics at the time of admission.

Whilst treatment can vary in cost and can be expensive, the patient does not have to pay for CURE’s services. All medical care is provided through the generous contributions of CURE donors, our non-profit partners, and insurance programs. Children are treated by our clinical team without charge or debt created, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or economic status.

CURE Trained Pediatric Orthopedic Fellows that are CoSCSA certified can be found in the following hospitals:

• Bahir Dar University – Tibebe Ghion Specialized Teaching Hospital
• Wolaita Sodo University Teaching Referral Hospital
• St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College – AaBET Hospital
• Jan 2024 Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital
• Lancet Specialized internal medicine and surgical center