Doctors with Africa Cuamm’s presence in Ethiopia dates back to 1986. Its most important focus was first on the construction, and today the management, of the hospital of Wolisso in the Oromia region.

In 2003, along with the Ethiopian Catholic Church, Doctors with Africa signed a cooperation protocol with the regional health authorities for the Wolisso hospital and nursing school.

This is particularly important because it is the first time in Ethiopia that a participatory agreement has been struck between a private non-profit organisation and a government run public service. The local authorities have guaranteed, for five years, a contribution towards covering the costs of part of the hospital’s health-service staff, concessions for buying medicines, and the provision of some study grants for students sent to the nursing by the regional authorities.

Doctors with Africa Cuamm is also present in Dubbo, located in the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples region, where the pre-existing diocesan health structure has been raised from the status of mother and child clinic to "Small General Hospital", a fact which has given it access to increased support from clinical personnel.

While on the one hand this recognition confirms the national government’s policy of decentralisation, it also demonstrates the authorities’ appreciation of the usefulness and quality of the services being offered to the population.

The project "support to the physical rehabilitation services, Region 1 – Tigray" in the north of the country began in 2004. This project, too, is being conducted in close collaboration with local authorities and associations.