WHO to execute health-related activities with 63 mln USD
(18 July 2007)
The World Health Organization (WHO) disclosed that it has prepared an action plan to execute various health-related activities with an outlay of 63 million USD in the next two years.
WHO Representative, Dr. Olusegun A. Babaniyi, announced recently that the action plan for 2008-2009 is designed based on the regional strategic objectives and the realities on the ground in the country.
Some 13 strategic objectives are identified in the action plan including combating HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria; reducing health, social and economic burden of communicable diseases, strengthening the health system, among others, the representative explained.
“The expected broad outcome is to assist Ethiopia to provide the best affordable health to her people … assist implement activities which will reduce mortality and mobility now and hopefully attain the MDGs by 2015,” he underlined.
There has been significant improvement in the health service delivery in the country in combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB, among others, due to better funding and push from the Ministry, Dr. A. Babaniyi further noted.
The funding, according to him, has taken into consideration the population of the country and a good portion of it has been earmarked for Ethiopia. To this end, the budget which was 35 million USD in 2004-05 has grown to 48 million USD in 2006-07 and even to 63 million USD in 2008-09, he added.
Ethiopia is getting one of the highest funding from the organization; he stated, adding that it has also been assisting the country to get more through writing proposals to funding agencies such as GF and GAVIN, among others.
“If it is to the resource available to the regional office, WHO definitely takes the relationship with Ethiopia very seriously, because Ethiopia is the political capital of Africa,” Dr. A. Babaniyi underscored.
WHO assists the Ministry of Health (MoH) and regional health bureaus technically through the provision of training, preparation of guidelines monitoring and evaluation of health activities, among others. (ENDS)