Addis ababa: Ethiopia's healthcare sector is witnessing a significant transformation, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced today, highlighting substantial advancements in pharmaceutical manufacturing and healthcare infrastructure development.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity has surged from a mere 4 percent to a remarkable 44 percent. This transformation was supported by a substantial investment of 70 billion Birr for medicine procurement and an expenditure of over 60 billion Birr on medical equipment. These investments are part of ongoing efforts to enhance service quality and expand healthcare accessibility across the nation.
The recent inauguration of several state-of-the-art hospitals, with more facilities set to open in the coming months, exemplifies the historic progress within Ethiopia's health sector. Prime Minister Abiy highlighted the construction of a new wing at St. Paul's Hospital, which has expanded the institution's capacity by an additional 1,000 beds, as a prime example of targeted infrastructural development.
Efforts are underway to ensure that locally manufactured pharmaceuticals meet rigorous world-class standards, gaining global acceptance, according to the Prime Minister. He emphasized the government's commitment to building premium and advanced hospital complexes that align with the standards of developed nations.
In terms of preventative public health, the Prime Minister announced the distribution of 14 million insecticide-treated bed nets and the completion of indoor residual spraying programs across 3 million households as part of a coordinated malaria reduction campaign. Additionally, routine immunization programs have been successfully introduced in 58 woredas that previously lacked access to vaccination services.
These comprehensive interventions aim to unlock advanced clinical potential and establish foundational health infrastructure, resulting in significant achievements across Ethiopia, as concluded by the Prime Minister.