In this ever-growing realm of socio-economic trajectory, people of many nations have achieved many milestones in the field of medical science, technological advancement, and comprehensive change, but still, there is a dire need for improvement in the quality of the former. Low-quality health care, wrong diagnosis, and uncivilized patient treatments, among others have been common problems for almost every citizen of the respective nations of the continents the globe encompasses. Ethiopia is not exceptional along this line, indeed!
Keeping this in mind, The Ethiopian Herald conducted an interview with Medhanit Yitbarek, a Health Officer working for a private hospital, to solicit a piece of information about the issue under discussion.
She said, “The breadth of health promotion activities including systemic regulatory, political, educational, and organizational actions have most of the time resulted in conditions conducive to individuals, groups, and communities. In order to lead to good health and well-being, individuals need to be well-aware in terms of methods and approaches.”
Health promotion activities need to ensure that these are put into operation in a well-organized manner. Apart from methods and approaches, the entire community and individual practitioners need to be well-equipped with various types of activities that are put into operation to promote good health and societal well-being.
She further stated that, when individuals appropriately implement activities, not only are they able to promote good health and prevent diseases, but they would also enrich their living conditions. She further stated that, Ethiopia should invest in improving its citizens’ healthcare capital funding via engaging new sets of investors and increasing its sophistication in capital planning and allocation in the years to come.
Yes, she said that Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa, with a population of over 120 million. Since 1995, the country’s health sector has undergone significant reform through the implementation of a healthcare financing strategy. The Health Sector Transformation Plan has identified four transformation priority agendas: ensuring the delivery of quality health services in an equitable fashion; focusing on district-level transformation; strengthening health information systems; and creating a compassionate, respectful, and caring health workforce.
In tune with the current climate of an aging population coupled with rising chronic disease and increasing demand for services, the government has to make the provision of the healthcare system modern, as to her.
Medhanit said, “Making quality an integral part of universal health coverage is also a matter of striving for longer and citizens’ better lives. Building quality in a health system needs to be affordable for citizens at all levels of economic development; in fact, the lack of quality is an unaffordable cost, especially for the poorest segments of the society.”
According to Medhanit, since capital funding is used to build new facilities, and redesign or restructure existing care operations, the country should work in collaboration with development partners and other local and foreign collaborators.
The vital measures such as carrying out a coordinated and unified medical and health management system, an efficient and standardized operation mechanism for medical and health institutions, a government-led diversified health investment mechanism, and a scientific and rational medical price formation mechanism, among others, have to be scrupulously taken to help the nation to make a difference, she said.
According to Medhanit, with the development of the economy, public health has become increasingly important. Therefore, it is important to establish a comprehensive and scientific public health level index system to measure public health level as a research priority.
The Ethiopian government has consistently made efforts to enhance the overall public health of the nation; of course, she stated adding that the efficiency of public health services and investment in healthcare resources are significantly higher in localities with higher economic levels compared to less developed regions. Due to unbalanced economic development, many towns and cities in less developed areas, such as are located in the remotest spots from the capital and big cities, are experiencing a shortage of healthcare resources. Hence, the government should attach due emphasis to the healthcare sector; and has to make financial subsidies since such a bold move is of significantly useful in helping the nation have healthy and productive citizens. She said, “The advancement of public health is a continuous process that evolves alongside the development of the economy, and its society. Therefore, to ensure that the level of public health levels in different parts of the country can be simultaneously compared both horizontally and vertically across regional states.”
As learnt from Medhanit, reaching the goal of a truly equitable health system in Ethiopia will definitely require a multitude of meaningful national strategies including a national commitment to adequate, affordable, and accessible care for all citizens of the nation with the required quality; greater state-level experimentation; and better designed financial assistance for coverage.
She further said that meeting the goal of quality healthcare service will also need a strong community health system that emphasizes political commitment, wider community awareness, and part of the problem and solution through active participation as this step would be instrumental in combating all sorts of hurdles influencing the health sector.
As to her, within the context of these strategies, achieving equity also requires tactical ladders that are consistent with broader strategies, building institutions and procedures within under-resourced communities that will help address the specific health needs of those in need, indeed!
She said, “For example, in our work examining healthcare and social determinants of health, we have encountered several examples of initiatives that should be considered as deliberate approaches to help improve healthcare and mitigate inequities in health—including access, resources, and environment, culture, and health behaviors.”
“Basically, the healthcare system can be well improved via expanding public funding for treatments proven to be cost-effective, investing in primary care provision, using information systems that make it easier for clinicians to work together with patients; engaging patients as well as standardizing and embedding quality improvement tools into practice and healthcare provisionapproaches,” she underlined.
Yes, Medhanit said Ethiopians deserve better access to healthcare services and affordable medicines, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay. However, the health system in the country has been facing significant challenges, such as overwhelmed emergency rooms, lack of access to doctors and healthcare workers being under enormous strain. The government has to augment concerted and collaborative efforts by federal, state and even other parties and should continue addressing myriads of challenges the health sector is facing these days.
Undeniably, according to Medhanit, the government has invested a great deal of money to improve healthcare services for all Ethiopians. Every Ethiopian and their health care providers should be able to access their health information securely and confidently.
The burden of medical treatment for urban and rural residents is still relatively heavy she said adding that with the development of the economy and society and the improvement of health security levels, the demand for health services throughout the life cycle is increasing, and the demand for medical and health services for residents is becoming more diversified, with an increased demand for high-end and diversified medical services. This can be met by moving in unison at all levels, she added.
Yes, she said all the problems revolving around the health sector need to be fundamentally resolved through deepening reforms. Although Ethiopia’s unique national conditions and healthcare system have characteristics, the related concepts, and methods can still provide valuable insights for healthcare reforms in many ways.
No doubt, as to her, the improvements in service delivery have increased the confidence of citizens that they can get the services they need at health centers, stations, hospitals, and other medical institutions.
According to Medhanit, the government has to work hard in a bid to address critical health sector challenges including reducing infant and maternal mortality rates and contributing to Ethiopia’s progress toward the Millennium Development Goals. Here, Ethiopian healthcare system targets at providing citizens with universal coverage and quality provision as much as possible.
In sum, Ensuring high-quality healthcare for newborns is also essential for improving their chances of survival within the country’s healthcare system. Mainly, healthcare investment is essential for bolstering the healthcare workforce, enhancing infrastructure, and ensuring the availability of necessary supplies. Besides, expanding community involvement including initiatives like raising public awareness, conducting health education sessions, and engaging local leaders and traditional birth attendants can also be a viable weapon for promoting a national healthcare system.
BY MENGESHA AMARE
The Ethiopian herald September 1/2024
