Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -MCDO
Five years ago, Meqoamia Community Development Organization (MCDO) launched a dedicated mission to establish 100% smoke-free hospitality environments within Addis Ababa. The primary objective is the rigorous enforcement of the Ethiopian Food and Medicine Control Proclamation No. 1112/2019 across restaurants, nightclubs, coffee houses, food courts, and groceries.
A Milestone-Driven Trajectory
The initiative has seen remarkable growth, evolving from a localized pilot into a city-wide movement:
- Year 1 (The Pilot Phase): The Addis Ababa Smoke-Free Initiative (AASFI) began as a pilot project in just three districts of Arada Sub-City. Due to its resounding success, it was scaled up to cover the entire sub-city within the same year.
- Year 2: The project expanded its footprint by including Kirkos Sub-City.
- Year 3: Growth continued with the addition of Lideta Sub-City, bringing the total to three sub-cities.
- Year 4: The movement reached the northern part of the city by incorporating Gullele Sub-City.
- Year 5 (Current Reach): In its fifth year, the initiative officially launched in Kolfe Keranio Sub-City.
MCDO now operates in half of Addis Ababa’s sub-cities, specifically: Arada, Kirkos, Lideta, Gullele, and Kolfe Keranio.
Strategic Partnerships and Funding
This sustained progress is powered by the generous financial and technical support from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) and is executed through a close regulatory partnership with the Addis Ababa Food and Drug Authority (AAFDA).
MCDO: Preserving the Brain. Restoring the Future.
Elias Kalayu