The Ministry of Health of Ethiopia launched a Five-Year National Health Equity Strategy on 18 August 2022 during a one-day high-level advocacy workshop. The workshop, jointly organized with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Ethiopia brought together representatives from Social Development, Culture, and Sports Affairs Standing Committee of the House of Peoples’ Representatives, sector ministries, regional health bureaus, city administrations, academia, professional associations, donors and development partners. 

In addition to officially launching the country’s new five-year National Health Equity Strategy, 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.

Speaking at the launching event, Health Minister 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. Dr. Lia called on 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 strategy to reduce inequity at zonal and district levels. 

WHO Ethiopia Deputy Representative Dr. Dlamini Nonhlanhla, commended 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,” she underscored. “I am pleased to confirm that we stand ready to work with the Ministry of Health and other partners towards this goal.” 

The National Health Equity Strategy spans five years, 2022-2026, and is an integral part of the Ethiopian Health Sector Transformation Plan. The Strategy articulates nine strategic directions that help reduce the health equity gradient:  enhancing provision of equitable and quality comprehensive health service delivery, improving accessibility of health facilities in all regions, community engagement and empowerment, improving health commodity supply chain and logistics management, enhancing leadership, management and governance, ensuring the integration of health equity in all policies, strategies and program, improving public-private partnership, and enhancing health financing.
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.