Ethiopia now part of ten fast- track countries in women and children’s health

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The Partnership for Maternal and Newborn Children Health (PMNCH)- Partner’s Forum in its third conference held in South Africa from June 30 to July 1, launched its summary statistics, putting Ethiopia amongst the ten-fast track countries, despite having one of the highest mortality rates in Africa.

Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Lao PDR, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda and Vietnam remain in the low- and middle-income “fast-track” countries (LMICs) list. According to data collected from the national and international level, they invested in high-impact health interventions such as quality care at birth, immunization and family planning. They have also made significant progress across multiple health-enhancing sectors including for education, women’s political and economic participation, access to clean water and sanitation, poverty reduction and economic growth.
Ethiopia is often praised for its health sector initiatives and investments after launching Ethiopia’s Health Sector Development Plan (HSDP) in 1997/8. The HSDP has strengthened areas such as immunization, nutrition, and community and facility based services, although maternal mortality rate, at 676/100,000 is still amongst the highest in Africa. Specifically, the acclaimed Health Extension Program (HEP) in Ethiopia has promoted community based primary care and is implemented by salaried health extension workers- a new cadre of community-based, mostly female health workers selected by their communities. As a result, it reduced under-five mortality by 45 percent between 2000 and 2011 and maternal mortality rates by 22 percent from 871 in 200 to 676/100000 live births in 2011. “We can never become satisfied with our success since we have a lot to do,” Graça Machel, Board Chair, PMNCH warned.

The Partners’ Forum, which drew more than 800 participants from the health sector, addressed key constraints that is holding stakeholders back from achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The countdown to 2015, a global movement to track, stimulate and support country progress towards the health-related MDGs, particularly goals 4 (reduce child mortality) and 5 (improve maternal health) was established in 2003, the countdown is supra institutional and includes academics, government, international agencies, professional associations, donors non-governmental organizations and other members of civil society.

Tedros Adhanom (Ph.D.), foreign minister, and former minister of health, said that his country would intensify its efforts to maintaining its position on the forefront, to remain a model despite his departure from the ministry, in which he was very productive. “We don’t appoint ministers, but we really want to have a strong and committed leadership as exemplary as Tedros and others,” Christopher J. Elias, President of the Global Development Gates Foundation said. In spite of all the healthy aspects of Ethiopian healthcare, it still needs to expand those acclaimed practices throughout the country, tackling challenges emerging from its vast land and dispersed communities, according to experts. On the other hand, it should focus on training more HEWs and physicians as it loses its skilled manpower who aim to impart knowledge and seek better salaries in some African countries such as Malawi and Namibia. According to research conducted in 2011 by Canadian scientists, it has lost 75 percent of its skilled professionals in the past ten decades.