ETHIOPIA – The United States has invested US$40 million for the Support Goal Universal Health Coverage project in Ethiopia to improve the country’s capacity in providing quality and affordable health care.
The investments will be executed in a five year period under the recently launched Health Financing Improvement Programme.
Leslie Reed, Mission Director, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), said that the mission remains committed in its efforts of building a truly sustainable and resilient health system in Ethiopia.
Reed said that USAID will continue in partnering entities towards addressing challenges facing health financing in he country.
“Together, we can show other developing countries around the world that with the right political will and commitment, it is possible to lay the promising foundation to a self-reliant healthcare system, capable of providing high-quality health services to all citizens in every corner of the country,” she said.
Under the new programme, USAID is set to collaborate with the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia to strengthen policy and financing reforms.
This will enable public and private entities to better provide primary health services while reducing out-of-pocket expenses for Ethiopians.
The project will also work with public and private healthcare providers to better utilize resources and revenues to finance their services.
The USAID’s Health Financing Improvement Program builds upon the successes of earlier investments like USAID’s community-based health insurance initiative, which currently provides medical coverage to about 20 million Ethiopians nationwide.
The programme will focus on mobilizing mobilizing increased domestic resources and streamlining medical insurance schemes to expand coverage to millions more people.
The United States is the largest bilateral donor to Ethiopia’s health sector, with approximately US$150 million per year in funding for HIV/AIDS; malaria; maternal, neonatal and child health; nutrition; tuberculosis; and water, sanitation and hygiene.
The United States has provided over US$4 billion in development and humanitarian assistance for Ethiopia over the past five years.