EU, MoH Sign Agreement Worth €5mln to Improve Specialized Health Education in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, May 17, 2023 (FBC) – The European Union (EU) and Ministry of Health have signed an agreement that aims at improving specialized health education in Ethiopia with a budget of 5 million Euros.

Ethiopian Minister of Health, Lia Tadesse and the European Union Ambassador to Ethiopia, Roland Kobia signed the agreement for the project.

According to the agreement, the European Union along with Spanish and Italian cooperation will work in nine university hospitals in Ethiopia to improve the professional skills of specialized medical students and teachers.

At the launching of the project, Minister of Health, Lia Tadesse said in a bid to further strengthen the health sector, attention has been given to the development of human resources in the field.

Starting from health extension workers, training and other supports are being offered to strengthen the human resources at all levels.

One of the areas of focus for the country is to expand specialized medical training, she said, adding specialized health education is being offered in 22 educational institutions.

The project announced by the European Union aims to increase the capacity of specialist doctors in nine university hospitals in Ethiopia, she pointed out.

According to the agreement, with a budget of 5 million Euros’, the European Union, with the Spanish and Italian cooperation, will work to expand health training and strengthen the quality of key surgical services.

The Minister further stated that by bringing experts and technologies from these countries, experience sharing will be undertaken.

“The objective is to expand and enhance quality training with a view to scale up capacities of students and teachers in the sector in key health issues such as specialties in surgeries, orthopedic treatment, and obstetrics and gynecology as well as emergency among others by exchange of experts and new technologies from these countries,” she elaborated.

European Union Ambassador to Ethiopia, Roland Kobia, expressed that he will do his part to make the project successful.

He also pointed out that capacity building activities, including training for medical doctors, will be undertaken as part of the project.

Noting that the needs are huge and the war also take toll not only on physical infrastructure including hospitals and health centers, he said that “it is not only this project that we have but we have many other projects. So if we put it all the projects it is off course much more than what we are doing here today. So working with you is a real privilege. We know that you deploy all efforts to make this project a success for Ethiopia but mainly for the population. So we can have a better access to help.’