Global Health Initiative

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Recognizing that a healthy, educated workforce is needed to achieve and sustain economic development, the Government of Ethiopia is leading an ambitious health sector development program with a special focus on women and children.

Ethiopia has the second largest population in sub-Saharan Africa numbering over 80 million, with 45% under the age of 15 and 84% living in rural areas. With support from USAID and other donors, the Government’s health extension worker program has become a model for other countries in the region where trained health sector personnel and resources are scarce.

High fertility and lack of access to quality services result in 673 maternal deaths and disabilities for every 100,000 live births—one of the world’s highest rates. Chronic malnutrition also remains a persistent underlying cause of child mortality, with 38% of children under five years of age suffering from childhood stunting. Demographic Health Survey 2011

Through the Global Health Initiative (GHI), the United States is helping 80 partner countries improve health outcomes through strengthened health systems - with a particular focus on bolstering the health of women, newborns and children by combating infectious diseases and providing quality health services in an integrated way that treats all the health needs of a person in an effective and efficient way.

GHI is launching an intensified effort in a subset of up to 20 "GHI Plus" countries, including Ethiopia. The lessons learned will be shared with other GHI countries to inform future decision-making and ensure programmatic accountability.

The Global Health Initiative incorporates other special US health initiatives.

The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) works to expand coverage of four highly effective malaria prevention and treatment measures to reduce the intolerable burden of malaria, especially among pregnant women and children under five.

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease internationally in history and supports life-saving antiretroviral treatment, care and support programs, and programs to prevent spread of the virus among high-risk groups and mother-to-child transmission.

The GHI strategy emphasizes collaboration between USAID and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Government of Ethiopia and local partners in the following areas:

Family Planning and Reproductive Health

Health Systems Management

Maternal, Newborn and Child Health

Nutrition

President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

Tuberculosis

See also:

Global Health Initiative Fact Sheet: Ethiopia Program Overview [PDF, 110kb]

USAID Ethiopia Country Development Cooperation Strategy 2011-2015 [PDF, 1.6mb]

U.S.Government Action Plan on Children in Adversity [PDF, 2.51mb]

Child Survival: Call to Action