WHO Ethiopia Signs Grant Agreement with Canada on Maintaining Health Services

February 16/2021(ENA) The World Health Organization (WHO) and Canada have signed an agreement to ensure functional health services in the context of COVID-19 in Ethiopia, according to a statement.

Through the agreement, Canada will provide WHO a grant amounting to 9.9 million Canadian dollars to strengthen the primary health care capacity to deliver essential health services, particularly for women, girls and vulnerable populations.

The grant will also maintain an effective response to COVID-19 to avoid additional preventable sickness and death among the Ethiopian population, it was indicated.  

The WHO Representative to Ethiopia, Boureima Hama Sambo said “The grant will not only strengthen the provision of quality, gender-responsive essential health services at primary care level but also boost health system resilience by building the capacity of regional and city health authorities to deal with current and future crises.”  

The grant will benefit approximately 6.5 million Ethiopians in need, of which 50 percent are expected to be women.

The remaining populations of Ethiopia are indirect beneficiaries, benefiting from the efforts to strengthen both the federal and regional health systems, with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, according to the statement. 

“Canada’s support will provide frontline health workers with the training, medicine, and equipment, including the personal protective equipment, they need to prevent, detect, and respond to COVID-19,” said Stephen Weaver, acting Minister-Counselor and Senior Director (Development) in the Embassy of Canada to Ethiopia.

The funding also ensures the continuation of essential health services for vulnerable populations throughout Ethiopia in the midst of this pandemic, including sexual and reproductive health and rights services, he stated.

These services, in line with Ethiopia’s strategies and Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, will address the different needs of women and men,” he added. 

Accordingly, WHO Ethiopia will continue to work closely with Ministry of Health and regional health bureaus to successfully implement the activities planned under the grant support.

This includes achieving reduction in the burden of preventable sickness and death in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among women and girls in Ethiopia.