Seqota Declaration Registers Tangible Results in Food, Nutrition and Community-based Health Insurance Service: DPM Temesgen

Addis Ababa, July 5, 2025 (ENA)—Tangible results have been achieved through Seqota Declaration in food, nutrition and community-based Health Insurance service delivery, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh noted.

For the deputy PM, the Food and Nutrition Programs advanced the Seqota Declaration are testaments of the leadership's commitment and community ownership participation, describing such experiences as model local solutions that can be used to implement other programs.

Addressing the performance review forum of Ethiopia’s budget year on Nutrition, Seqota Declaration and Community-based Health Insurance Service,Temsgen said that expanding community-based endeavors is essential to address stunting and other malnutrition  problems. 

The goals set out in the Food and Nutrition Strategy and Seqota Declaration can be achieved by creating community-based mobilizations and by making part of the solutions to the problem, he said, adding that in this regard, the implementation of the expansion phase of the Seqota Declaration  are being carried out by engaging the people with sense of ownership.

The implementation of local innovations in Woredas and Kebeles through identifying nutrition problems has a key contribution for the achievements gained, he affirmed.

Stating that the implementation of the Seqota Declaration has reached a critical stage, he said the expansion phase will be completed next year, stressing the need to carry out the transition to the next 5-year expansion phase based on the 15-year roadmap.      

Noting the need to identify approaches that can bring about change at household level and to promote effective innovations, he said that in the health sector, a community-based health insurance program is being implemented to achieve the goal of universal health coverage and quality health services be accessible to all citizens in an equitable manner.       

Citizens have received the health insurance coverage through the implementation of the Community-based Health Insurance in the Ethiopian 2017 fiscal year, he said, adding the community-based Health Insurance Program is playing a key role in improving the living and health conditions of citizens by reducing medical expenses.

He emphasized the need to further consolidate institutional and community contributions to accelerate the implementation of the Food and Nutrition Strategy and Seqota Declaration. 

In 2015, the Government of Ethiopia made a high level fifteen-year commitment to end stunting in children under two years by 2030.

This commitment, known as the Seqota Declaration (SD), is operationalized through a multi-sectoral program involving nine different sector ministries including Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Education, Water, Irrigation and Energy, Women, Children and Youth, as well as Transport and Finance, Labor and Skills and Culture and Tourism.