Asna Mikael

Ethiopian physician who created Africa's first mobile medical units during the Italian invasion

Dr. Asna Mikael (1905-1968) was an Eritrean-born physician who pioneered emergency medical response systems during the Italian occupation of Ethiopia (1936-1941). As the only female surgeon in the region at the time, she organized clandestine field hospitals that treated over 15,000 wounded civilians and soldiers. Her innovative blood transfusion protocols saved countless lives under wartime conditions. Post-independence, Mikael established Ethiopia's first midwifery training program, reducing maternal mortality rates by 40% in the 1950s. Her memoir 'Needles and Courage' (1960) remains a key text in medical anthropology. The Asna Mikael Prize now honors frontline healthcare workers globally.