Innovative Program Fills Health Care Void

Ethiopia faces a chronic shortage of human resources in the health sector.  Those in the health sector struggle with alarming health conditions.  The country has one of the highest newborn mortality rates in the world.  One in six children dies a preventable death before they reach the age of five.  Acute lack of access to health care has been leading many Ethiopians of all ages to die of common illnesses, leaving the life expectancy at only 41 years.

Since 1997, the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative (EPHTI) has helped to address these alarming health issues through a landmark partnership between the Government of Ethiopia, seven Ethiopian universities, 21 Ethiopian hospitals, The Carter Center, and USAID.  The initiative is making a true difference in the delivery of health care in Ethiopia.   By enhancing the quality of pre-service training for health staff, more and more Ethiopians are receiving better health care services.

EPHTI helps Ethiopians determine the best way to deliver public health care to their country, rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all approach common in other parts of Africa. International experts work alongside Ethiopian teaching staff at the University of Gondar, Defense College of Health Sciences, Haramaya University, Hawassa University, Mekelle University, Jimma University, and Addis Ababa University to conduct training workshops and seminars to enhance faculty skills and assist in developing learning materials based on Ethiopian experience. EPHTI also provides computers, anatomical models, and supplies, such as stethoscopes and gloves, to enhance the classroom environment for students studying health sciences.

The program has made major progress: more than half a million copies of approximately 230 health learning materials have been produced, and more than 8,500 students have graduated from universities assisted by EPHTI since its inception. Already, these efforts have improved health care delivery for 75 million rural Ethiopians.

"Patients can now see health officers regularly, and many complicated cases can be managed in our health centers instead of having to transport patients to hospitals," Rahel Terefe Bogef, a health officer trained by the Initiative said.