Ethiopia News

Ethiopia commemorates the World Hepatitis Day for the third time under the theme “prevent and act now” by expressing strong commitment to fight the viral Hepatitis disease that affects millions of its people.  The commemoration took place on 28 July 2015 at Saint Paul Hospital.

A recent expert estimate shows that nearly 10 million Ethiopians are living with viral Hepatitis and many more are becoming newly affected.

WHO and partners conduct Ebola assessments in 14 high risk countries in Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners conducted Ebola Virus Disease preparedness assessments in 14 countries in the African region in 2014. The assessment team visited Ethiopia 2-8 December 2014 to explore what systems were in place and what areas of preparedness could be strengthened.

The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member states have signed a call for action to establish a regional medicine regulation collaboration and harmonization mechanism to fight illicit medicine circulation and improve availability of safe, effective and quality-assured medicines. Substandard/spurious/falsely labelled/falsified/counterfeit (SSFFC) medical products cost the lives of many people in the region.

Ethiopia launches national strategic action plan on non-communicable diseases and the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon partnership

Implementation will Improve Access to Medicines 

The week of the third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) was an opportune time to launch the ambitious 10-year National Strategy and Plan of Action to Develop Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Capacity in order to increase access to locally manufactured, quality-assured, medicines. The FfD brought together high level persona from key health and development partners, most of whom attended and spoke at the launching event.   

ADDIS ABABA - The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) today thanked the government of Japan for its generous and timely donation of US$11.8 million to assist South Sudanese refugees and the host community in Gambella regional state in western Ethiopia.

The three UN agencies acknowledged the Japanese Ambassador in Ethiopia, His Excellency Mr. Kazuhiro Suzuki, for the crucial contribution to deliver life-saving assistance and services to refugees and the host community.

In a bid to confirm global and national commitment to the eradication of polio from Ethiopia and the Continent, a high level polio vaccination event was held at Selam Health Centre in Addis Ababa. Minister of Health Dr Kesetebirhan Admasu, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr Margaret Chan, The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) Chief Executive Officer Dr Seth Berkley and UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ms Yoka Brandt participated in the event, symbolically administering polio drops to children.

Speaking at the side event onChanging the Conversation on Development Finance for Health, WHO Director Genearl Dr Margaret Chan, underscored the need to change the conversation in accordance with the changing global social, demographic and financial landscape. 

WHO Country office Ethiopia is playing an essential role in supporting the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies with public health consequences. To deliver on its core commitments and performance standards, the country office fulfils four critical functions in emergency response: leadership, information, and technical expertise and core services.

Addis Ababa. 26 August 2015 – The exceptional leadership of the Ethiopian Government in the efforts to improve maternal and new-born health was commended by the UN H4+ Global Team mission that visited Ethiopia from 17-21 August 2015. The team assessed progresses made on maternal and new-born health as a result of interventions supported in the past two years by UN H4+ agencies – UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNWOMEN and WHO – with the government of Ethiopia. The interventions were supported through funding from the Swedish Government through Sida.