아세안

Ethiopia has an opportunity to improve its population’s health vastly in our lifetime. This will require a strong health workforce and a comprehensive health system. Unfortunately, multiple shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, drought, and conflicts have slowed economic growth, stalled poverty reduction, widened the government budget deficit, and decreased government health spending. A World Bank (2023) study now calls for immediate action, with prioritized investment in the country’s health workforce being essential. By 2050, Ethiopia will add about 90 million people to reach 205 million. Average life expectancy is expected to in crease from 67 to 74 years. This growth comes amid challenges. Maternal and infant mortality rates are high, more than a third of children are stunted, and 20 million people suffer from food insecurity. Ethiopian children born today will be only 38 percent as productive when they grow up as they could have been if they had received a complete education and enjoyed full health. The health care system struggles to provide treatment for noncommunicable diseases, which account for about 42 percent of deaths. The new study calls for a strong and adequately resourced health workforce, despite fiscal constraints, and makes the following recommendations.