Introduction
In Ethiopia, there have been ample evidences which shows there were in equities among regions, zones,woreda, health facilities in the country due to weak health system and unfair distribution of health care service delivery including social determinants of health. Hence, the Ethiopian constitution of 1994 under article 89/4 states that government shall provide special assistance to Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples least advantaged in economic and social development. Based on constitutional right and human right aspects, Ministry of Health established Health System Strengthening and Special Support Directorate/HSSSSD. Previously the directorate mainly focusing on developing regions (Afar, Somali, Gambella and Benishangul Gumuz regions) and 7 selected Low performing zones located in agrarian regions to improve implementation capacity through strengthening the health system as well as community engagement intervention, Starting from the HSTP II the directorate scaled up to nationwide to address inequities beyond geographic disparities including Socio economic, Demographic, Gender, People with special needs. In order to reduce avoidable disparities and provide tailored support through assigning technical advisors, financial and logistic support for the disadvantaged groups focusing on health system building blocks & people. On top of this the directorate has mandated coordination of health interventions with other line ministries to address geographic inequities. Moreover, the directorate has committed to build resilient health system, building system thinking and improve the state of inequities in the country and contribute towards achieving global and national goals and objectives.
Mission:
- To ensure resilient health system and health equity by increasing access and utilization of health service through strengthening health system, collaboration and evidence-based decision.
Vision
- To see all Ethiopians receiving the highest possible quality health care service in an equitable manner
Objective
- To improve access to healthcare by reducing physical, price and socio- cultural barriers
- To increase the uptake of healthcare service
- To reduce the difference in health status (or outcomes)
- To integrate the concept of equity throughout all dimensions of quality improvement tools, health care operation and health care practices
Case teams
- Afar Case Team
- Somali Case Team
- Benishangul Gumuz Case Team
- Gambella Case Team
- Equity Case Team
Program
- Health System Strengthening and Health Equity
Project
- European Union Social Determinant of Health [SDH] For Gender Equality Programme
- Intervention to reduce geographic inequities, in the four Developing Regional States in Ethiopia, with gender and nutrition component
Initiatives
- Addressing socio economic inequity
- Reducing Disparities due to Level of education
- To improve Geographical accessibility
- To bridge Gender gaps/disparities
- To improve Demographic disparities
- •To strengthen the six WHO building blocks
Roles and responsibilities
1. Strengthening the health system in developing regions and selected low performing zones
- Establishing sustainable and consistent health system in the developing regions and selected zones.
- Provide strong support, monitoring and evaluation, improve implementation capacity based on the health systems building blocks and improve health service access and utilization by the community.
- Identify gaps at federal, regional and community level on intervention and services of prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health issues through strengthening the health system interventions.
- Strengthen the health management information system, Human resource information system, good governance, financial management, logistics and medical supplies in the developing regions and low performing zones.
- Conduct advocacy that strengthen service accessibility through improving the health system and work with partners and other stakeholders.
- Monitor and follow, evaluate and provide corrective directions on the implementation of projects undergoing in the developing regions.
- Coordinate the development of strategies, guidelines, and manuals related to health system strengthening interventions and monitor implementation process, evaluate effectiveness and ensure revision of old working documents.
- Facilitate and Conduct operational research to assess service delivery status of maternal, child health, diseases prevention services to support evidence based decision making.
- Identify the best practices, analyses the practice, formulate the best practice and scale up to other areas by adopting according to the implementation situation.
2. Perform interventions addressing health equity
- Developing National health equity strategy and implementation manual and ensure implementation at all levels in all regions
- Work with stakeholders and other sectors to ensure health equity in the country
- Develop a Health Equity Monitoring System for the country
3. Conduct capacity building activities on health system strengthening and health equity
- Identify competency gaps in different mechanisms and intervene tailored approach
- Provide capacity building trainings based on the identified gaps in related to health system strengthening building blocks (human resources management, health information management, logistics and medical supplies, health financing, leadership and governance and service delivery including community platforms.)
- Mobilize resource from different options for institutional and human resource
- Evaluate project proposals to be implemented in the developing regions
- Monitor and evaluate the implementation of trainings and post training issues that are provided to improve health system
- Conduct supportive supervision, monitoring and evaluation