The World Health Organization (WHO) recently conducted a
Joint Operational Review (JOR) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from March 27th to
March 31st, 2023. The review aimed to assess WHO's humanitarian response to
northern Ethiopia and drought emergencies, identify gaps, challenges, and best
practices, and integrate them into the next phase of the response and recovery
plans.
The healthcare system and service delivery in health facilities
in Ethiopia have been severely disrupted due to conflict, food insecurity,
recurring outbreaks, and limited health emergency management and surveillance
capacities. These challenges have significantly impacted the capacity to
deliver essential and emergency healthcare services.
The five-day JOR workshop focused on four key pillars of
health service delivery: surveillance and outbreaks, leadership and
coordination, health information and essential healthcare delivery. The
stakeholders involved in the workshop included the Ministry of Health, the
Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Regional Heath Bureaus, UN agencies, donors,
and health cluster partners. The JOR identified Public Health emergencies that
continue to drive the humanitarian needs in the country. Facilitators were from
WHO Headquarters, the African Regional Office based in Brazzaville and Nairobi
and from the Ethiopia country office.
The review resulted in key findings that will help WHO
improve its response to the high burden of emergencies in Ethiopia. Dr.
Nonhlanhla Dlamini, WHO's Ethiopia acting representative, expressed gratitude
towards the Ethiopian government and partners, highlighting the importance of
collaboration, strengthened coordination, and implementing efficient, flexible,
and comprehensive systems to address the challenges.
Dr. Messay Hailu, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute
Director General, emphasized the need to create a coordinated system with
stakeholders through necessary human resources, finance, and other resources to
support the efficient response and rehabilitation of the affected people from
natural and human-made disasters.
Overall, the JOR activity is WHO's core internal strategy
to review its health emergency programs, identify areas for improvement, and
develop a roadmap for future interventions. The activity will help ensure that
agreed-on actions with clearly assigned responsibilities for follow-up actions
are communicated to improve current standards and ultimately better the lives
of those affected by emergencies in Ethiopia