Addis Ababa: The Ethiopia-Pandemic Multi-Sectoral Prevention, Preparedness and Response Project (EPPR) which we have launched today is a paradigm shift towards a holistic and multi-sectoral approach to address public health crisis, Health Minister Lia Tadesse said.
In her remark during the launching ceremony, Lia said that the Pandemic Fund will cover 50 million USD while development partners will cover 63 million USD.
By intertwining health and agriculture, Ethiopia aspires to bolster food security, fortify surveillance for zoonotic diseases and foster sustainable livelihoods among vulnerable communities, she added.
Strategic emphasis is placed on enhancing laboratory functions, surveillance capabilities, and workforce development, underscoring the imperative to strengthen our capacity in preventing, detecting, and responding to health emergencies, the Minister noted.
By spanning the laboratory, workforce, and surveillance, the ministry will give special emphasis to the One Health Approach to bolster Eth
iopia’s preparedness and response capabilities over the next three years, Lia stressed.
‘With a total project budget of 113 million US dollars (6.4 billion birr), we stand confident to implement targeted interventions at the federal, regional, and community levels, as well as at points of entry. This inclusive approach ensures that our endeavors resonate across all platforms of society, leaving no one behind,’ she elaborated.
Agriculture Minister, Girma Amante said that the One Health Imitative will greatly enhance the national capacity for detection, reporting, community engagement, awareness raising campaigns, policy alignment, and resource allocation of animal disease.
‘Of course, it will reinforce Ethiopia’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to the public health emergency and pandemic preparedness and response capabilities,’ he underlined.
Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa-CDC) Director-General, Jean Kaseya recalled on his part that Africa was the only continent without r
egional and multi-country proposal in the first round.
That won’t be the case in the second round, he stressed.
‘Today we have to start to talk about One Health Approach; without one health approach, we will not succeed. We need to bring together all of our components and our entities to work together,’ the Director-General explained
Source: Ethiopian News Agency