UNECA Hails Ethiopia’s Primary Healthcare Gains

Addis Ababa, Sept. 2, 2026 (ENA) —Ethiopia has made significant progress in expanding primary healthcare services, with the government taking a leading role in delivering essential health services, Chief of Staff at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Aboubakri Diaw said.

Speaking to ENA, Diaw commended Ethiopia’s achievements in primary healthcare and stressed the need to sustain the gains through stronger and more sustainable financing.

“Ethiopia did a lot of positive things when it comes to primary healthcare,” Diaw said, noting that the government has played a central role in delivering important healthcare services.

He underscored the broader economic value of investing in health, saying stronger healthcare systems can contribute not only to people’s wellbeing but also to economic growth, public revenue and national development.

Diaw said UNECA would work with the Ethiopian government to strengthen the connection between health and economic development, while emphasizing that sustaining the progress achieved will require coordinated efforts by the Ministry of Finance, development partners and the private sector.

He also highlighted the importance of linking health with environmental sustainability, pointing to Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative as a notable example.

“Health and environment are really two things that we cannot dissociate,” Diaw said, praising Ethiopia’s efforts to plant trees and improve the urban environment.

He encouraged other African countries to learn from Ethiopia’s experience, while adapting its approaches to their own national circumstances rather than simply replicating the model.

According to Diaw, creating healthier and more livable cities—where people can walk safely and breathe clean air, can generate benefits extending well beyond public health.

Such investments, he said, can improve people’s physical and mental wellbeing, strengthen economic productivity and enhance the attractiveness of African cities to tourists and international visitors.

Diaw further stressed the importance of presenting Africa’s positive development stories to the world, noting that the continent should not be defined solely by its challenges.

“This project is one of the things that we can really be proud of,” he said, emphasizing Ethiopia’s experience as a model that can demonstrate the positive transformation taking place in Africa.