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Tiny Feet, Big Steps Conference in Ethiopia Exceeds Expectations

By Dr. Stephen Swanson

The recent Tiny Feet, Big Steps neonatology conference in Addis Ababa delivered an impact far beyond what organizers anticipated. Ethiopian lead organizer Dr. Mahlet Abayneh, one of the country’s most respected neonatologists at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, initially feared attendance would be low due to logistical challenges.

However, in the days leading up to the event, her outreach efforts rapidly changed momentum. Attendance grew each day, ultimately with 147 participants (82 nurses, 65 physicians), and the response from healthcare professionals across Ethiopia was overwhelmingly positive. Participants were from 49 hospitals across Ethiopia, with additional attendees from Somaliland and Malawi.

Dr. Mahlet noted how unusual it was for a medical conference—either in Ethiopia or abroad—that matched the practical neonatology training focus, organization, and attendee-speaker engagement of Tiny Feet, Big Steps. This event maintained full participation from morning sessions through late-afternoon workshops. Many attendees stayed until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m., fully engaged throughout.

Participants expressed deep gratitude, sharing that the teaching was practical, compassionate, and immediately applicable to their clinical work. Many were moved by the supportive atmosphere and the instructors’ willingness to listen to local challenges. Several providers realized that several Ethiopian NICUs were already using protocols uniquely introduced at the 2023 Tiny Feet Big Steps Arusha Conference, demonstrating the spread of knowledge across hospitals and countries.

The conference brought together 20 African and international instructors, and several Ethiopian colleagues who co-taught sessions, including 1 doctor from Soddo Christian Hospital, 2 NICU nurses from Soddo, 4 NICU nurses from St Paul’s Hospital in Addis. The three-day event was packed from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., ending with a banquet marked by heartfelt goodbyes.

By the final day, individuals and colleagues working with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health approached organizers to request that this training be expanded nationwide and offered multiple times per year through ICHA in Ethiopia. ​

The team left Ethiopia energized and encouraged, grateful for the warm reception and the remarkable impact of the gathering. Attendees repeatedly asked, “When are you coming back?” and many expressed hopes to reunite at future TFBS Conferences in Arusha, Ethiopia and possibly Uganda.