> UNFPA launches 3-year nat’l MHNCs project
ADDIS ABABA – The Ministry of Health (MoH) has revealed that activities are underway to reduce maternal and child mortality rates, particularly in lowland areas, through combined efforts.
MoH’s State Minister Dereje Duguma(MD) made this statement yesterday during the launch of a three-year project by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) titled Testing Mobile Health and Nutrition Clinics (MHNCs) in Ethiopia.
The MHNCs in Ethiopia project will be supported by UNFPA in four zones across the Afar, Oromia, and Somali states, with funding from the Gates Foundation.
According to Dereje, the restoration of health facilities is being vigorously carried out in conflict-affected areas, while the deployment of mobile clinics adds significant support in ensuring equitable, accessible, and quality health services for communities.
He added that the government has been allocating a substantial budget to the health sector to ensure adequate health facilities for all people across the nation. Therefore, the mobile clinics will particularly support communities living in areas with difficult infrastructure.
The Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MoWSA) State Minister Huria Ali stated that the mobile clinics will help address health access challenges in remote areas, as the project targets those underserved communities.
“Although the country has been striving to reduce maternal and infant mortality, women still face challenges during pregnancy and childbirth due to lack of accessibility. To address these issues, the Ministry is currently revising the national women’s policy, while the mobile clinics will advance efforts in the coming years,” she noted.
Echoing this sentiment, Finance State Minister Semereta Sewasew said that Ethiopia has been making unwavering efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality. She added that the mobile clinic initiative represents an innovative and collaborative approach and will contribute significantly, especially for vulnerable communities.
UNFPA Ethiopia Co-Representative Koffi Kouame explained that MHNCs in Ethiopia is a three-year project to be implemented in Oromia, Afar, and Somali states. The project aims to reach underserved communities with integrated reproductive, maternal, newborn, and nutrition services. It will cover 12 districts, involving four hospitals, 12 health centers, and four mobile health and nutrition clinics in the listed states.
BY MESERET BEHAILU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL 2025
