ETHIOPIA – The Ministry of Health (MoH) of Ethiopia has unveiled the National Health Equity Strategy for the period 2022-2026 that seeks to reduce inequity at zonal and district levels.
The National Health Equity Strategy is an integral part of the Ethiopian Health Sector Transformation Plan that articulates nine strategic directions to help reduce the health equity gradient.
The five-year strategy focuses on enhancing provision of equitable and quality comprehensive health service delivery along with improving accessibility of health facilities in all regions.
The National Health Equity Strategy aims to ensure the integration of health equity in all policies, strategies and program, improving public-private partnership and enhancing health financing.
The new strategy also supports community engagement and empowerment as well as improving health commodity supply chain and logistics management to strengthen the Ethiopian health system.
The National Health Equity Strategy spans five years, 2022-2026, and is an integral part of the Ethiopian Health Sector Transformation Plan.
Minister of Health of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Honorable Dr. Lia Tadesse attested that the new national health equity strategy is built on lessons learned from the implementation of the previous health equity strategy and the broader health sector strategies.
Ethiopia’s Health Minister called upon all stakeholders and sectors to have stronger coordination and an intentional equity lens in all their programs to achieve the goals set forth in the newly launched strategy.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health launched the National Health Equity Strategy at a high-level advocacy workshop on health equity.
The strategy was endorsed by WHO Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Government at national and regional levels as well as development partners to strengthen the support the country’s strides towards health equity.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia launched the five-year National Health Equity Strategy during a one-day advocacy workshop that was jointly organized with the WHO in Ethiopia.
The advocacy workshop brought together representatives from Social Development, Culture and Sports Affairs Standing Committee of the House of Peoples’ Representatives.
Other stakeholders that participated in the workshop include sector ministries, regional health bureaus, city administrations, academia, professional associations, donors and development partners.
In addition, the workshop aimed to advocate for stronger political commitment, technical support and resource allocation for the successful implementation of the strategy.
“The workshop reached out to stakeholders to create a mechanism that will ensure that all government systems and structures put in place implementation modalities, allocate resources, and establish or strengthen coordination mechanisms at regional, zonal, and district levels,” reveals WHO Ethiopia.
WHO Ethiopia Deputy Representative Dr. Dlamini Nonhlanhla lauded the Ministry of Health’s leadership in the quest to ensure health equity as a key component of universal health coverage.
“WHO is committed to ensuring that every Ethiopian, everywhere, realizes the right to good health and wellbeing. Successful implementation of strategies such as the National Health Equity Strategy is key to achieving this,” assured Dr. Dlamini Nonhlanhla.
WHO Ethiopia works closely with the Ethiopian Government at national and regional levels as well as development partners to strengthen the Ethiopian health system and support the country’s strides towards health equity.
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