Unit Nine:

Health System and

Health Policy in Ethiopia

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Health System & Health Policy in Ethiopia

Session Objectives:
By the end of this session you should be able to:
 Understand key Health system and health-system building
blocks and their interactions
 Describe the health policy principles, strategies and
priorities in Ethiopia
 Discuss on HSDP and Health Sector Transformation Plan
(HSTP)
 Describe PHC

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 Activity (5 minutes)
•What is:
 Health system?
 What does health systems do?
 Why health systems matter?
 Health System

 is defined as the sum total of all organizations, people, resources

and all activities whose primary purpose is to promote health, to
restore or maintain health (WHO).

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 Health System…

The Broad health system:

• Includes everyone responsible for good health, all
branches of government and operates within the
public sector, civil society and for-profit entities.

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 Health System…
Health systems have three objectives

1. Improving the health of the population they serve

2. Providing financial protection against the costs of ill-health (Risk
Protection)…sharing risk and providing financial protection =>
Fairness in financial contribution
3. Responding to people’s expectations (Responsiveness)…reflects
the importance of respecting people’s dignity, autonomy & the
confidentiality of information

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How is the Ethiopian healthcare delivery system organized?

 The health service system in Ethiopia is federally

decentralized among the nine regions and two city
administrations.

 Offices at different levels of the health sector in Ethiopia,

from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) to Regional
Health Bureaus and Woreda health offices, share decision-
making processes, powers, and duties.

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 Ethiopian healthcare system…
• The FMOH and the RHBs focus more on policy matters and
technical support

• also responsible for owning, financing and

supervising the service delivery of regional hospitals.

• Woreda health offices focus on managing and coordinating

the operation of a district health system that includes a
primary hospital, health centers, and health posts under the
Woreda’s jurisdiction.

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 Ethiopian healthcare system…

• Health service provision to the community in

Ethiopia is largely publicly provided particularly in
rural areas.

• However the private sector also plays a significant

role in healthcare service provision in Ethiopia
though mostly in towns and mainly in providing
curative services.

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 How is the Ethiopian healthcare system financed?

• In the Ethiopian health system, some public health

services have been provided to all citizens free of
charge, regardless of their level of income. Almost all
of the curative services are covered by individuals
from out-of pocket expenses.

• The state of healthcare financing in Ethiopia has over

the years been characterized by low government
spending and minimal participation by the private
sector.

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 Ethiopian healthcare system…

• As the government has the major responsibility for

funding the system, changes in political regime has
meant that the politics of the day have greatly
influenced the financing policy environment.

• Spending was most depressed during the Derg regime

in the late 1970s through the 1980s, and is now
growing.

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 Building Blocks of Health System

• What are the building blocks that make up a health

system?

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 Building Blocks of H/System…
Health systems are composed of the following six
building blocks:
1. Leadership and governance procedures and
practices, including planning, that engender
commitment and accountability.
2. Human resource policies and procedures that
produce a supported and motivated work force.
3. Financial management, which is concerned with
accounting and budgeting, along with the related
reporting and analysis that make it possible to ensure
that the organization's resources are used in the
service of its mission
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 Building Blocks of H/System…
4. Management of medicines and medical supplies so that the
right products are delivered in the right quantities, at the right
time, and in the right place, and then used appropriately.
5. Health information and associated monitoring and
evaluation practices that facilitate effective problem solving,
informed decision-making, and the formulation of policy
based on evidence.
6. Health service delivery that is supported by quality
management processes and that addresses the basic health
needs of the populations to be served.
(Source: WHO, 2007)
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Health System Building Blocks, The WHO framework

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Health Tier System in Ethiopia

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 six tier system
Primary health care period (1974 – 1991)
Central (referral)
hospitals1:3-5 million people

Regional hospital 1:1.6-3

million people

Rural hospital 1:100-

1,000,000
Health center 1:50,000-
100,000
Health station (clinics)
1:10,000
Community health service
(Health post) 1:1,000

Figure 1. the six tiered organization of health services delivery in Ethiopia

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 Four tier system
Sector Wide Approach Period (1991-1998)
Specialized/Teaching hospital
(1:5,000,000)

Regional hospital (1:1,000,000)

District Hospital (1:250,000)

Primary health Care unit

(PHCU) One HC with 5 satellite
CHP
Serving a population of 25,000 i.e.
Each HP 5,000 people

Figure 2. The four-tier system of health services delivery in Ethiopia.

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The three tier healthcare delivery system of Ethiopia (since
2010)

Figure 3. The current/ three-tier systemNigusu

of health
W. services delivery in Ethiopia. 22
 Current Health Problems in Ethiopia
 High population growth rate and Malnutrition
 Highest rates of maternal & neonatal mortality
 Health workforce shortage
 Low institutional delivery
 Increased Non Communicable Diseases
 prevalent Neglected Tropical Diseases
 Inadequate immunization coverage

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 Common healthcare Delivery gaps in Ethiopia

 Poor management and governance of service delivery

systems
 Weak referral system
 Shortage of resources, and inefficient use
 Poor generation & utilization of health information
 Poor Recording, Reporting, and documentation
 Under-use of available services

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BASIC CONCEPTS OF POLICY

WHAT IS POLICY?

WHAT IS A HEALTH POLICY?

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 POLICY
 A policy is a set of clear statements and decisions defining
priorities and main directions for attaining a goal.

 policy is concerned with what is to be done (content); how

to do it (strategy).

 A policy involves agreement or consensus on the

following main issues:
 Goals and objectives to be addressed,

 Priorities among those objectives and

 Main directions for achieving them.

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 Health Policy
HP can be defined as the “formal written document, decisions,
plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific
health goals within a society. ”
WHO

An explicit health policy can achieve several things:

- It defines a vision for the future;
- It outlines priorities;
- The expected roles of different groups; &
- It builds consensus and informs people.

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 Health Policy of Ethiopia
 It was issued in 1993 (without any revision since then).

The policy formulation has been the result of

 Critical reviews and scrutiny of the nature,

 Magnitude and root causes of the prevailing health problems

of the country, and

 The broader awareness of newly emerging health problems in

the country.

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 Health Policy of Ethiopia…

 The policy emphasizes the importance of achieving

access to a basic package of quality primary health
care services for all segments of the population
 In a decentralized way.

 It states that the health service should include

preventive, promotive and rehabilitative components.
 Gives strong emphasis to the fulfillment of the needs
of the less privileged rural population.

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 Health Policy of Ethiopia…

The Ethiopian health policy Core principles:

1. Democratization and decentralization of the health system.

2. Comprehensive health care (prevention, promotive and

curative) components.

3. Equitable and acceptable health service system that will

reach all segments of the population within the limits of
resources.

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 Ethiopian Health Policy Core Principles…

4. Promoting and strengthening of inter-sectoral activities.

5. National self-reliance in health development by

mobilizing and maximally utilizing internal and
external resources.

6. Assurance of accessibility of health care for all

segments of the population.

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 Ethiopian Health Policy Core Principles…

7. Working closely with neighboring countries, regional

and international organizations

8. Development of appropriate capacity building based

on assessed needs.

9. Payment according to ability with special assistance

mechanisms for those who can not afford to pay.

10. Participation of private sector and NGO in health

care.

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 Health Policy: Priorities

1. Information, Education and Communication (IEC)

2. The control of communicable diseases, epidemic and

disaster related to malnutrition and poor living
conditions.

3. Support to the curative and rehabilitative cares.

4. Attention to traditional medicines: Research and gradual

integration to modern medicine.

5. Health research on major health problems.

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 HEALTH POLICY: Priorities cont…
6. Provision of medicines, medical supplies and
equipment.
7. Human resources Development
8. Special attention will be given to the health needs of:
Family particularly women and children,
Those in the forefront of productivity,
Most Neglected regions, Rural area, Urban Poor,
pastoralists, and national minorities.
 Victims of man-made and natural disasters

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 Health Policy: Strategies

1. Democratization within the health system

2. Decentralization

3. Inter-sectoral collaboration
4.Health education

5. Promotive and preventive activities

6. Human resource development

7. Availability of drug supplies and equipment

8. Traditional medicine
9. Health systems research

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 Health Policy: Strategies…
10.Family health services
11. Referral system
12. Diagnostic and supportive services
13. Health management information system
14. Health Legislations
15. Systematized and rationalized Health Service Organization
16. Effective and efficient administration and management of the
health system
17. Public, private, and international sources for financing Health
Services
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Health Sector Development Program (HSDP)

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 The Health Sector Development Program (HSDP)
(1996-2015 GC)

• Following the national health policy in 1993, Ethiopia

produced and was implemented a 20-year Health
Sector Development Program (HSDP).
• launched in 1998
• The HSDP has been implemented in four phases
building on lessons learned from phase to phase.
 Has three main goals:
‐ Building basic infrastructure
‐ Provide standard facilities and supplies
‐ Develop and deploy appropriate health personnel
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 HSDP…
The focus will be on preventive and promotive
aspects of care with:
• Health Education,
• Reproductive Health Care,
• Immunization
• Better Nutrition
• Environmental Health and Sanitation.

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 Phases of HSDP
• HSDP I -1997/8-2002
• HSDP II -2002/3-2006

• HSDPIII –July 2006-June 2010

• HSDP IV –June 2010-2015

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 HSDP I (1997/98–2001/02)
• Covered the first five years (1997/98–2001/02)

• Prioritized disease prevention

• Introduced a four-tier system for health service delivery

– Characterized by a primary health care unit (PHCU),

comprising one health center and five satellite health
posts; the district hospital, regional hospital and
specialized hospital.
• The three one’s principle Nigusu
andW.harmonization 44
HSDP-II (2002/03–2005/06)
•  Introduced the Health Service Extension Program
(HSEP).
• Innovative health service delivery system
• It is a community based health care delivery system
at kebele and household levels

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 HSDP III (2006/7-2009/10)
• Directly aligned with the health-related MDGs
• Focuses on high-impact health system strengthening
interventions needed to accelerate scale-up and increase
coverage of key health services for HIV,TB, malaria, as
well as maternal and child health.

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 HSDP IV (2010 –2014)

• Developed as part of the National Growth and

Transformation Plan (GTP)
• The expression of the renewed commitment to the
achievement of MDGs as a top global Policy
• Gives priority to maternal and child health, nutrition, as
well as the prevention and control of major communicable
diseases, such as HIV/AIDS.
• Emphasizes the strengthening of HSEP to improve the
quality of PHC, human resource development and health
infrastructure.
• Developed the three tier health delivery system
• Community empowerment/ownership
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Health Sector Transformation plan (HSTP)

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 Health Sector Transformation plan (HSTP) in Ethiopia

• The MOH embarked on an envisioning exercise to develop

its next 20-year plan after the HSDP IV mid-term review.

• The envisioning exercise resulted in a long-term health

sector transformation roadmap titled, “Envisioning
Ethiopia’s Path towards Universal Health Coverage
through Strengthening Primary Health Care”.

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 (HSTP) in Ethiopia…..
• The HSTP is therefore the first phase of the
“Envisioning Ethiopia’s Path towards Universal
Health Coverage through Primary Health Care”, and
as well part of the GTP II .

• The objective of the long-term visioning

programme is to enable Ethiopia to achieve the
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 (HSTP) in Ethiopia…..

• The Health Sector Transformation Plan (HSTP) is the

five-year national health sector strategic plan after
successfully concluded the 20 years National
HSDP.
• It has been prepared by conducting in-depth
situational assessment and performance evaluation of
HSDPs; considering the global situation and the
country’s global commitment; and most importantly,
the goals of the national long-term vision and Growth
and Transformation Plan (GTP).
• It covers EFY 2008-2012 (July 2015 – June 2020).

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 Strategic Themes of HSTP
• Strategic themes are the main focus areas of the sector‘s
strategy.
• Strategic themes are the Sector’s “Pillars of Excellence.”

• The HSTP Strategic Pillars are:

1. Excellence in health service delivery

2. Excellence in quality improvement and assurance

3. Excellence in leadership and governance

4. Excellence in health system capacity

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 (HSTP) in Ethiopia….

Strategic Theme 1: Excellence in health service delivery

• This theme refers to the promotion of good health

practices at individual, family and community levels and
the provision of preventive, curative, rehabilitative and
emergency health services.
• The provision of service delivery should address existing
gender, geographic, economic and socio demographic
inequities.

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 Strategic Theme 2: Excellence in quality
improvement and assurance

• This theme refers to managing and improving quality and

safety in health services at all levels of the healthcare
system.
• The focus on quality in health systems at this time is due
to the clear evidence that quality remains a serious
concern.
• Quality and safety have been recognized as key issues in
establishing and delivering accessible, effective and
responsive health systems.
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 Strategic Theme 3: Excellence in leadership and
governance

• This theme refers to evidence-based policy formulation and

planning; implementation; effective monitoring and evaluation,
motivation and partnerships to achieve results.
• It incorporates:

Equitable and effective resource allocation;

Leadership development within the sector and the community

Woreda transformation; and

Partnership and coordination

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Strategic Theme 4: Excellence in health system capacity

• This theme refers to the enhancement of resources for

health, which includes human and financial resources,
health infrastructure and supplies that are accessible to
communities.
• It also refers to professional development to promote
respectful and compassionate care.

• Health infrastructure includes construction of new

facilities, rehabilitation of older ones and equipping
these facilities as per national standards.

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 Health sector transformation agendas
• To achieve the targets set, the HSTP has identified four
interrelated transformation agendas for this strategic period.
These are:
1. Transformation in equity and quality of health care

2. Information revolution

3. Woreda transformation

4. The Caring, Respectful and Compassionate (CRC) health

workforce

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Quality and Equity in Health Care
• Equity in health care is ensuring availability of the best care to
all whereby the quality of care provided does not differ by any
personal characteristics including age, gender, socioeconomic
status or place of residence unrelated to a patient’s reason for
seeking care.
• Quality health care refers to a care which is safe, reliable,
patient-centered, efficient and provided to all in need in an
equitable and timely manner.
• The substantial inequalities still existing in health outcomes based
on differences in economic status, education, place of residence
and gender need to be addressed.
• During implementation of the HSTP, efforts will be doubled up
to ensure equity in health care, which has the following important
elements;
• Equal access to essential health services,
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Information Revolution
• Information revolution refers to the phenomenal advancement on
the methods and practice of collecting, analyzing, presenting and
disseminating information that can influence decisions in the
process of transforming economic and social sectors.
• It entails a radical shift from traditional way of data utilization to a
systematic information management approach powered by
corresponding level of technology.
• Information revolution is not only about changing the techniques
of data and information management;
• it is also about bringing fundamental cultural and attitudinal change
regarding perceived value and practical use of information.

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Woreda transformation

• The woreda transformation agenda has three simple and

interrelated goals.
• These goals are:
1. Developing high-performing primary health care units (PHCU),

2. Graduation of model Kebeles and

3. Achievement of universal health coverage with financial risk

protection through CBHI.

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Developing Caring, Respectful and Compassionate
(CRC) health professionals

• What is CRC?

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• CRC (Caring, Respectful and Compassionate) health
professionals have the following four essential characteristics:

1. Consider patients as human beings with complex psychological,

social and economic needs and provide person-centered care
with empathy

2. Effective communication with health care teams, interactions

with patients and other health professionals over time and across
settings;

3. Respect for and facilitation of patients’ and families’

participation in decisions and care; and

4. Take pride in the health profession they are in and get

satisfaction by serving the people
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Thank you!!

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Primary Health Care (PHC)

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 Objectives
To describe the historical development of PHC
Definition of PHC
To discuss on Principles and components of PHC

To identify possible problems in implementing PHC

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 PHC Historical Development

 The World Health Organization (WHO), established in 1948.

 Major objective: The attainment by all people of the highest

possible level of health.

 Due to political and socio economic factors the various health care
approaches implemented in different countries between 1948 and
1978 did not enable WHO to meet the stated objectives.

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 PHC Historical Development…
Strategies used by WHO
- In the 1950s the vertical health service strategy which included:

- mass campaigns and

- specialized disease control programs for selected communicable

diseases, such as control of malaria, tuberculosis and venereal
diseases.

- But it was found to be expensive and unsuccessful.

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 PHC Historical Development…

 Later In the mid 1950s the concept/strategy of Basic Health

Service came into practice.
 This approach gave more attention to rural areas through
construction of health centers and health stations providing both
preventive and curative care.

 In the early 1970s integration of the specialized disease

control programs with the basic health services was emphasized.

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 PHC Historical Development…

 All these approaches were disease oriented based on

high cost health institutions requiring advanced
technology to solve the health needs of the people,
and thus ultimately failed to reach the desired goal.
 Specially in developing countries where their health
problems required emphasising on health promotion
and preventive care, the strategies applied did not
make much impact on the health status of the
population.

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 PHC Historical Development…
 The evaluation of these strategies during 1950s and 1970s showed the
following:
 The health status of millions of people in the world at that time and
even today is unacceptable.
 the health status of the majority of people in disadvantaged areas of
most countries of the world remained low.
 The organised limited health institutions failed to meet the demands
of those most in need of health services.
 The health services often created in isolation neglecting other sectors
such as education, agriculture, water, communication etc.
 Health institutions stressed curative services with lacking priority to
preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.
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 PHC Historical Development…
 These situations called for WHO and UNICEF in the early 70s to
seriously and critically re-evaluate and re-examine existing policies,
approaches and options in health.
 Thus, the magnitude of health problems and inadequate distribution of
health resources called for a new approach and the Concept of PHC.
 In 1977 the WHO set a goal of providing “Health for All by the year
2000” which aims at achieving a level of health that enables every
citizen of the world to lead a socially and economically productive life.
 The strategy to meet this goal was later defined in the 1978
WHO/UNICEF joints meeting at Alma-Ata USSR.
 In this meeting it was declared that the PHC strategy become a core
policy to meet the goal of “Health for all by the Year 2000”.

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 Primary health care
Definition :– PHC is essential health care based on
practical, scientifically sound, and socially acceptable
methods and technology made universally accessible to
individuals and families in the community through their
full participation and at a cost that the community and
country can afford to maintain at every stage of their
development in the spirit of self reliance and self
determination.’ (WHO, 1978)

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 PHC Definition…
Terms in the definition:

• Essential health care: Health care provided through PHC is basic,

indispensable and vital.

• Scientifically sound: The strategy we use in implementing PHC

should be scientifically explainable and understood.

• Socially acceptable methods and technology: should be accepted by

the local community and to consider the local value, culture and
belief.

• Universally accessible: The PHC approach is to bring health care as

close as possible to where people live and work in order to guarantee
universal accessibility to the individuals, family and community.
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 PHC Definition…
• Community involvement: Community can achieve better health
status through their own efforts and the health workers role is to
help them identify their problems and to point out methods for
dealing with the problems.

• Self-reliance and Self-determination: able to support yourself,

being independent understanding your own needs and trying to
minimize problems. Knowing when and for what purpose to turn
to others for support and cooperation.

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Principles of primary health care

• Equity
• Intersectoral collaboration
• Community involvement
• Appropriate technology
• Emphasis to promotion and prevention
• Decentralization

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 I. Equity

• Providing equal health care to all groups of people according to

their needs.
• giving highest priority to those with greatest health needs
• Services should be physically, socially, and financially
accessible to everyone

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 II. Intersectoral
collaboration
• It means a joint concern and responsibility of different sectors
• Which sector must be collaborated?

 Important to:-
 Save resources (effective use of resources)
 Identify community needs together

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 III. Community involvement

The communities should be actively involved in:

 The assessment of the situation

 Definition/identification of the problems

 Setting of priorities
 Planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and
management of development programs

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 IV. Appropriate Technology
• Methods- procedures - techniques, equipments used are;
 Scientifically valid

 Adapted to/based on local needs

 Acceptable by the professionals
 Acceptable by the community

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 Criteria of Appropriateness

• Effective:-must work and fulfill its purpose

• Culturally acceptable and valuable:- must fit into the hands, minds and lives
of its users
• Affordable:-affordable cost by the major/ whole community
• Environmentally accountable:- should be environmentally harmless
• Measurable:-needs proper and continuing evaluation if it is to be widely
recommended.

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 V. Emphasis on health promotion and prevention
• Promotive: addresses basic causes of ill health at the level of society.

• Preventive: reduces the incidence of disease by addressing the

immediate and underlying causes (risks) at the individual level.
• Curative: reduces the prevalence of disease by stopping the
progression of disease among the sick.
• Rehabilitative: reduces the long-term effects or complications of a
health problem.

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 VI. Decentralization

• Bringing decision making away from the national or

central level and closer to the communities served & to
field level providers of services.
 It reflects Community participation

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PHC COMPONENTS

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 PHC COMPONENTS…
8 essential elements:
1. Health Education concerning prevailing health problems and
the methods of preventing and controlling them
2. Provision of Essential Drugs
3. Immunization against the major infectious diseases
4. MCH/FP
5. Appropriate Treatment of common diseases & injuries
6. Adequate supply of safe water & basic sanitations
7. Communicable diseases control
8. Promotion of Food supply and proper nutrition
Source: WHO, 1978.
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 PHC COMPONENTS…

 additional elements incorporated in the Ethiopian context;

1. Oral health

2. Mental health

3. The use of Traditional Medicine

4. Occupational health

5. HIV/AIDS

6. URTI

7. AYRH

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 Major problems in the implementation of PHC in Ethiopia

• Absence of infrastructure at the district level

• Difficulty in achieving inter-sectoral collaboration

• Inadequate health service coverage and mal-distribution

• Inadequate resource allocation

• Absence of clear guidelines or directives on how to implement PHC

• Presence of harmful traditional practices

• Absence of sound legal rules to support environmental health activities
• Weak community involvement in health

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Thank you!

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