Ethiopia: Health sector gets $40m from US, Fund to be used in improvement programs

Government of the United States has pumped out a gigantic amount of USD 40 million in Ethiopia’s health sector. The aim of this injection of the fund is to provide quality affordable healthcare to citizens across the nation.

According to the Mission Director of United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Leslie Reed, the money will be invested in the coming five years as part of Health Financing Improvement Program launched in the mid-February. We look forward to continuing our joint work to tackle the challenges facing health financing as part of overall efforts to build a truly sustainable and resilient health system in Ethiopia, Leslie Reed said.

“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. Under the new program, the USAID will work with the Ministry of Health to strengthen policy and financing reforms that enable public and private entities to better provide primary health services while reducing out-of-pocket expenses for the Ethiopians,” the statement from the United States Embassy in Addis Ababa read.

New Business Ethiopia also noted that the US is the largest bilateral fund donor to the country’s health sector, with approximately $150 million per year in funding for HIV/AIDS, malaria, maternal, neonatal and child health, nutrition, tuberculosis, and water, sanitation and hygiene. The US overall has provided over $4 billion in development and humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia over the past five years.

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