Criteria for Granting a Therapeutic Use Exemption

Athletes should satisfy the following criteria to be TUE granted as per the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemption (ISTUE).

  1. The Athlete would experience a significant impairment to health if the Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method were to be withheld in the course of treating an acute or chronic medical condition.
  2. The Therapeutic Use of the Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method would produce no additional enhancement of performance other than that which might be anticipated by a return to a state of normal health following the treatment of a legitimate medical condition. The Use of any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method to increase “low-normal” levels of any endogenous hormone is not considered an acceptable Therapeutic intervention.
  3. There is no reasonable Therapeutic alternative to the Use of the otherwise Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method.
  4. The necessity for the Use of the otherwise Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method cannot be a consequence, wholly or in part, of the prior Use, without a TUE, of a substance or method which was prohibited at the time of Use.

Based on these criteria, those national level athletes can apply for ETH-NADO to be TUE granted.

On the other hand, international level athletes may submit their TUE request for International Federations and/or Major Event Organizers.

As per the ETH-NADO Rule, National Level Athlete are:

  • Any athlete who participates individually or as a team in the international level events and competitions by representing Ethiopia ;
  • Any athlete included in the national teams of each sport;
  • Any athlete who participates in the national competitions and events Organized by the government of Ethiopia, National Federations, Universities;
  • If any such Athletes are classified by their respective International Federations as International-Level Athletes then they shall be considered International-Level Athletes (and not National-Level Athletes) for the purposes of these Anti-Doping Rules as well.