Service delivery innovations in conflict-affected areas project worth of $8mln launched
Addis Ababa, February 8, 2023 (FBC) – Service Delivery Innovations in Conflict-Affected Areas project worth of $8 million was launched on Tuesday to help improve maternal and child health services in conflict-ridden areas of Afar, Amhara, and Oromia regions.
To return health centers to their full service capacity, the FDRE Ministry of Health together with UNICEF, UNFPA, and WHO, with the financial assistance of the Gates Foundation Africa, unveiled the ‘Service Delivery Innovations in Conflict-Affected Areas’ project.
The project was launched to coordinate existing and innovative solutions for health service delivery in conflict-affected areas of the three regions.
According to UNFPA Ethiopia, the project contributes to Ethiopia’s recovery efforts to decrease maternal and child mortality and morbidity.
The 8 million USD received from the Gates Foundation Africa will be used to support a total of 12 hospitals, 24 health centers, 48 health posts and 6 mobile health teams in the conflict-affected regions, and it is said to help provide better health services, the Ministry of Health said.
Dr. Paul Mainuka, Head of Maternal Child Health and Nutrition at WHO Ethiopia, “WHO works with the Ethiopian government and partners to ensure that sexual and reproductive health remains an integral part of the package of essential health services in all scenarios: routine services, health emergency response, early recovery and rehabilitation.”
According to Dr. Paul, the investment will contribute to streamlining coordination across the three UN agencies, allowing for the scaling up of existing and effective innovations.
He said that the project is designed to be implemented for 18 months (from November 2022 to May 2024) in conflict-affected areas.
In her speech at the event, UNFPA Ethiopia representative, Susan Mandong, said that her organization will strengthen health services and support mobile health teams.
UNICEF Ethiopia representative, Mariko Kagoshima, said that the conflict has resulted in human displacement, security issues and infrastructure destruction. She believes that the project will help to solve some of these problems.
The event was attended by the officials of the Ministry of Health, heads of the health offices of conflict-affected regions and partner organizations, as well as a representative of the Gates Foundation Africa.