Ethiopia to Build East Africa's Biggest National Integrated Health Rehabilitation Center

Addis Ababa, September 19, 2025 (ENA) -- The Ministry of Health has emphasized that the groundbreaking National Integrated Rehabilitation Center will mark an important milestone in integrating Ethiopia's health infrastructure.

Minister of Health Dr. Mekdes Daba has launched the construction of the National Integrated Rehabilitation Center at Gefersa, Sheger City, in a ceremony attended by senior government officials and medical practitioners.

In her speech during the occasion, the minister emphasized that the new rehabilitation center will be a benchmark for the country's health-care sector.

Ethiopia's current rehabilitation center has been carrying out operations on patients for more than 40 years, and the new venture aims to transform it into a continental center of excellence, Africa's leading rehabilitation center for health-challenged people.

Dr. Mekdes reaffirmed the government's emphasis on health policy, particularly in dealing with non-communicable diseases, which have been a priority over the past three decades.

The new center, as announced by the minister, will consolidate 17 different facilities into one integrated institution, offering joint services for physical disabilities alongside mental illnesses.

 

According to the minister, comprehensive rehabilitation programs will also be available to patients with cognitive, psychological, and bodily impairment.

The complex, which will span more than 17 hectares, will host 13 blocks of medical, therapeutic, residential, and recreational services, according to the minister, adding that it will also comprise urban agriculture programs to support patient care, enable therapy, and create employment opportunities for professionals across different fields.

Upon completion, the National Integrated Rehabilitation Center will be East Africa's biggest, delivering specialized care for accident injuries, chronic ailments, and natural conditions.

The entire project is funded by the Ethiopian state, the minister explained, a testament to the country's resolve to add rehabilitation services and promote health tourism.

The center will be a beacon institution that will boost the living conditions of underprivileged communities within Ethiopia as well as the whole continent, she added.