USAID launches $12m health resilience project to boost Ethiopia’s response to emergencies

The project will provide leadership development and training on data use for early warning, preparedness, and response planning.

The United States Agency for International Development/Ethiopia (USAID) Acting Mission Director Timothy Stein was joined by Minister of Health Dr. Lia Tadesse and Commissioner for Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission Dr. Shiferaw Teklemariam to launch the USAID Health Resilience Activity.  This five-year, $12 million (650 million Birr) project will empower the Ministry of Health to anticipate, prepare for, detect, respond to, and mitigate the impact of public health emergencies in Ethiopia.  The collaboration between USAID and the Ministry of Health will lead to improved preparedness to effectively respond to public health emergencies at the sub regional level.

 

The launch, held at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) National Training Center, was attended by representatives from regional health bureaus, regional public health institutes, UN agencies, and other development partners, who highlighted the need for community-level health system strengthening.  During his remarks, Acting Mission Director Stein noted, “The coordination of all development partners in the Public Health Emergency Management space is paramount to achieving these goals of the project.” 

The project will provide leadership development and training on data use for early warning, preparedness, and response planning.  Concurrent trainings will focus on mobilizing local resources for times of emergency. 

In 2022 alone, USAID provided more than $1.8 billion dollars in development and humanitarian aid to Ethiopia. 

(With Inputs from APO)