Last month, IntraHealth International honored several champions within Ethiopia’s health sector and celebrated 10 years of working in partnership with the government of Ethiopia.

Since 2003, IntraHealth has worked with Ethiopia’s Federal Ministry of Health to increase access to HIV/AIDS care and treatment and other lifesaving health services. Working in the country’s five largest regions—Addis Ababa, Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR (Southern Nation, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region), and Tigray—IntraHealth has helped Ethiopia work toward its health development goals.

At the anniversary reception held on September 18, IntraHealth president and CEO Pape Gaye (above, left) applauded Ethiopia for achieving Millennium Development Goal Number 4, which addresses the reduction of child mortality. He also noted global appreciation for the country’s health extension worker program.

“The government of Ethiopia realizes that one of the key determinants of good health is the availability of an excellent health workforce, and its investment in health workers is contributing to improved health,” Gaye said. “Health workers are the human face of the health system. Simply put, without the health worker, there are no health services.”

IntraHealth’s country director for Ethiopia, Misrak Makonnen (above, center), thanked the Ethiopian government for its support over the past decade and assured participants that IntraHealth is committed to collaborating at all levels to help improve the health of Ethiopian communities.

“I want to take this opportunity to recognize and thank our health workers, health facilities, and health managers that we support at every level,” Makonnen said. “We strongly believe that health workers save lives. This 10 year celebration is not only about IntraHealth and its partnerships in Ethiopia, but also about celebrating the work of health workers in serving people every day.”

To honor excellence within Ethiopia’s health sector, IntraHealth presented awards to the following exemplary facilities and health workers:

1. Baso Liben Woreda Health Office, Amhara Region

The Baso Liben Woreda’s leadership and commitment to high-quality care for mothers, newborns, and children and services to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission make it a role model to other woredas. The facility’s excellent results reflect its staff members great commitment to service—100% of clients are counseled and tested, and more than 80% of clients’ partners are tested (more than any other woreda in the region). No HIV-positive mothers are lost through the follow-up process and all HIV-exposed infants receive dry blood sampling.

2. Kombolcha 02 Health Center, Amhara Region

The Kombolcha 02 Health Center has achieved what few other health centers have: all 56 infants born to HIV-positive mothers in the health center received gold-standard treatment. All of the infants were administered dry blood sample testing, which revealed that 55 of them were HIV-negative, and all 56 HIV-exposed infants have taken prophylaxes without interruption. The health center delivers 45% of babies born in the communities it covers; the national average is just 10%. Of women who received antenatal care, more than 80% of their male partners received HIV testing. These results are all thanks to strong collaboration, outstanding teamwork, and the health center staff’s strong relationship with mother support groups, mentor mothers, and the broader communities they serve.

3. Megab Primary Health Care Unit, Tigray Region

The Megab Primary Health Care Unit’s creativity and team work has enabled them to find local solutions for the community’s many challenges in maternal and child health and in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission. This unit brings together representatives from the health facility, community, health extension workers, the health development army, religious leaders, and the Women’s and Youth Association to implement comprehensive, integrated, accessible health services. A highlight of their approach is the community health day called Bright Day for Pregnant and Lactating Women, which takes place every month in each village within the health center’s catchment area. Despite the rugged terrain surrounding the health center, a lack of running water, the presence of just one midwife, and space limitations, about 50 women per month choose to give birth in the facility (compared to nearly zero two years ago).

4. Kukufto Primary Health Care Unit, Tigray Region

Through exemplary leadership, teamwork, and commitment, health workers at the Kukufto Primary Health Care Unit deliver high-quality services in maternal and child health and in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. For the past seven years, 67% of mothers in the region have chosen to give birth in the facility, 100% have been given antenatal care, and 100% of pregnant women have received HIV testing and antiretroviral prophylaxis when necessary. To maintain these results, the unit formed a functional continuous quality improvement team and board, which regularly assess the unit’s performance.

5. Entotofana Primary Health Care Unit, Addis Ababa

Leaders at this health center established a library and installed internet access to ensure that staff can update their technical knowledge on a regular basis. In addition, the health center computers are networked to allow different departments—such as pharmacy, finance and administration, and the antiretroviral therapy department—to share information. This team uses data from self-assessments and the health management information system to inform decisions and plans. And high-quality care is a priority. The staff established a waiting area for laboring mothers and family members, equipped with a TV and audiovisual educational materials. They also ensure that all pregnant women who come to the health center are tested for HIV and linked to mother support groups, when necessary.

6. Legtafo Health Primary Health Care Unit, Oromia Region

The dedicated team at Legtafo has transformed this health center—once a very low performer—into one of the highest-performing in the region. It now offers all services 24 hours a day. And it is one of the few health centers to successfully establish a way for the community to offer feedback. Through this system, community members use suggestion boxes at the facility to rank the providers based on the quality of service they provide. Despite a shortage of staff to manage the increasing demand, the percentage of women who choose to give birth in the facility has risen from 10-15% to 80-90% in the past four years. In fact, the friendly services at Legtafo draw many mothers from outside the catchment as well. Legtafo meets all quality-of-care indicators and has in many instances exceeded its annual targets.

7. Weyinshet Yirga, Midwife, Ropi Health Center, Siraro Woreda, West Arsi Zone, Oromia Region

Moved by the experiences and troubles of women giving birth, Weyinshet changed her field of study from clinical nursing to midwifery. She works far beyond her clinic’s normal hours and personally follows up with HIV-positive pregnant women in the community to make sure they get the services they need to prevent passing the virus to their babies. During her service in remote Ropi, Weyinshet collaborated with health extension workers to organize pregnant mothers' conferences in each community. As a result, the number of births at Ropi Health Center rose from 5 per month to 65 per month. Weyinshet’s success is partly due to the communities’ great respect for her. They know her as a truly caring and sympathetic health care provider. Weyinshet also works hard to share her knowledge and skills by mentoring health extension workers.

8. Azmera Abera, Nurse Midwife, Hole Health Center, Gurage Zone, SNNP region

Azmera is a nurse midwife who shares her knowledge and skills with her colleagues and is so dedicated to her clients that she devotes her free time to caring for them. A gold medalist at her former teaching institution, Azmera works constantly to learn new things and develop practical solutions to the challenges she faces every day. Facility staff see Azmera as being knowledgeable, skilled, and committed to her work and her clients.

9. Habtamu Beyene, Deputy Head of Regional Health Bureau, SNNP Region

It’s partly thanks to Ato Habtamu’s keenness and dedication to his role that the SNNP region has made its priorities high-quality care, maternal and child health, and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT). Ato has worked closely with the IntraHealth team to implement PMTCT and the expanded Option B+ programs, and has shown great leadership. His passion and hard work have resulted in more HIV-positive pregnant women in the region benefitting from antiretroviral prophylaxis.

10. Yetimwork Tekle Adera, PMTCT Case Team Leader, Federal Ministry of Health

Yetimwork was inspired to become a health worker when, as a child, she witnessed needless suffering in her community—and saw the dedication with which health workers at the hospital near her mission school combatted it. Because money was always tight, getting an education was difficult for Yetimwork. But she did not give up. Now she is highly respected in the Ethiopian health system and has been asked to be part of many important national-level projects to expand programs for preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission and improving quality of care. Yetimwork’s work to expand the coverage of mother support groups throughout hospitals, health centers, and communities is a testament to her dedication. She is an educator, mentor, clinician, and leader in health. 

Read more:

• From the Ethiopian Herald: IntraHealth International Celebrates 10th Year Anniversary
• From Afro 105 FM: Ethiopia Gets Wider Appreciation for Cutting Child Mortality