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AUDA-NEPAD, Ethiopia’s Health Ministry Ink MoU to Transform Ethiopian Health System

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The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve healthcare in Africa’s second most populous country, Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Minister of Health, Dr. Mekdes Daba and Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD, during the signing ceremony

The agreement which aims to fortify systems and provide affordable, high-quality care for the country’s population, was signed on the sidelines of the recent 8th Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by the Ethiopian Minister of Health, Dr. Mekdes Daba and Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Ethiopian Health Minister Dr. Mekdes Daba, said the agreement was aimed at reinforcing AUDA-NEPAD’s footprint in Ethiopia. “This partnership would help strengthen health systems and ensure access to safe, effective, and affordable health services for all Ethiopians. I am confident in the potential of this collaboration to significantly enhance the healthcare system and improve health outcomes across the nation.”

Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, highlighted the broad scope of the agreement, which focuses on critical areas of public health, namely sexual and reproductive health, demographic diversity initiatives, health surveillance, and product safety, vector control for malaria and other diseases, pharmaceutical production and health financing, and skills development to strengthen Ethiopia’s health workforce.

“This agreement outlines a comprehensive roadmap for collaboration between the two entities. Among its priorities is strengthening family planning initiatives and ensuring access to comprehensive reproductive health services, including in humanitarian contexts. Regulatory capacity building will also be a focal area, with efforts to enhance the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority’s (EFDA) capacity to oversee drug safety, regulatory frameworks, and clinical trials,” said Bakele-Thomas.

The agreement also covers expanding pharmaco-vigilance efforts to ensure the safety and efficacy of medicinal products used in Ethiopia is another key element of the agreement. This includes organizing scientific training programs for technical experts and hosting the African Union Smart Safety Surveillance (AU-3S) Steering Committee meeting in Addis Ababa in March 2025.

AUDA-NEPAD says supporting Ethiopia’s pharmaceutical production capabilities is a cornerstone of the agreement which will focus on enhancing local manufacturing to ensure the availability of high-quality, locally produced medicines. Workforce and skills development are also integral components with AUDA-NEPAD committing to capacity-building activities that align with Ethiopia’s health system needs while creating jobs and fostering innovation.

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