On 13 March 2019, the Head of the Addis Ababa Office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Mr. Tiberio Chiari, attended the inauguration ceremony of the medical supplies and drugs to the Shashamene General Hospital in Shashamane on behalf of the Ambassador of Italy to Ethiopia, Arturo Luzzi. The medical supplies and drugs worth 37 million Euro were donated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Italy.
On 6-7 February 2019, the Head of the Addis Ababa Office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Mr. Tiberio Chiari, travelled to the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNP) of Ethiopia to engage with the implementing partners and meet the beneficiaries of the project “Community Health Education, Capacity & Knowledge building” (CHECK).
The project, funded by the Government of Italy through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and implemented by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), has a budget of 500,000 Euros and aims to support the prevention of HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases and the promotion of sexual and reproductive healthcare in the SNNP Region.
The visit provided an opportunity to renew Italy’s commitment to fight HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and to strengthen the partnership with UNAIDS. In Hawassa, the Head of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Mr. Tiberio Chiari, met former UNAIDS Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Michel Sidibé.
Red the full press release.
With a national registration rate of 3% children registered, Ethiopia is one of the countries with the lowest levels of birth registration. With no proof of age or identity, children do not have the minimal protection needed against violence, abuse and exploitation.
From 10 to 13 June 2018, the monitoring mission of the "Project to Strengthen the Civil Registration System for the Children’s Right to Identity: Identification for Development (ID)” for the Oromia Region, has been organized by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), as implementing partner of the initiative.
Through implementing an evidence-based set of interventions aligned with national laws and international standards, the project intends to contribute to improved delivery and access to civil registration and certification services for the target population, and increased efficiencies and effectiveness. Specifically, the project aims to improve the system of civil registrations in the regions of Oromia and SNNP, by also ensuring the right to identity of children born in remote rural areas.
Trainings of civil registras and Health Extension Workers (HEW) as well as awareness raising activities (Community Conversations), have contributed to birth registrations becoming a more common practice in the region.
The mission has allowed to observe the whole birth registration procedure starting from the birth of the child. Thanks to a consolidated collaboration between local health workers and registras, mothers can now receive a document certifying the birth of their children directly at the health facilities. The notification paper is then presented to the nearest registration office to obtain the official birth certificate.
In order to raise awareness on the importance of birth registration, meetings have been organized both with registras and the community. The commitment and interest of the registras to provide a quality service has been observed together with the skills they acquired through trainings. The families gathered were consulted about the value they attribute to identity.
Most of the women seemed proud to show the birth certificate of their children, which allows the child to know his/her age, unlike the majority of the mothers who often do not have this basic information.
Today, 05th March, the Ambassador of Italy H.E. Arturo Luzzi and the Deputy Minister of Finance of Ethiopia H.E. Admasu Nebebe signed at the Ministry of Finance in Addis Ababa five bilateral agreements concerning technical and financial assistance for a total amount of 28.7 Million Euros. The signing ceremony has also been attended by Mr. Tiberio Chiari, Head of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) - Addis Ababa Office.
“As you all know, Ethiopia is undergoing an unprecedented political, social, and economic reforms, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed. The past two years have seen all rounded transformational changes in the country. The reform efforts have been multi-faceted, broad, and ambitious. On this reform, the Government of Italy has been an invaluable partner”, stated the Deputy Minister of Finance of Ethiopia H.E. Admasu Nebebe.
“In this period of financial constraints and of many other problems that we have to face in Europe, and in Italy, it means that our friendship and our partnership is very strong. This partnership is very strong because we have an intensive political dialogue. Our Prime Minister has been the first Western leader to come to Ethiopia in 2018”, stated then the Ambassador of Italy H.E. Arturo Luzzi, underlying the mutual friendship that unites Italy and Ethiopia.
“We see how the process has just started, but we can say that there are very positive relationships among the Italian system – of enterprises, institutions, and people – with the Ethiopian system – enterprises, institutions, authorities, etc. I think it is one of the main achievements to establish strict relationships and to proceed to a common path for the future, in the major effort to reach effectiveness, efficacy, and on-time results for the benefit of the whole country”, concluded Mr. Tiberio Chiari, Head of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) - Addis Ababa Office.
The five implementing agreements are focused on the agro-industrial development, on strengthening the health system with special attention given to gender and nutrition component, on urban natural resources management, on education and job creation:
The above interventions fall within the Ethio-Italian Cooperation Country Framework 2017-19 whose portfolio is of 125 Million Euro. The above-mentioned Country Framework is aimed at contributing to the integrated, inclusive and sustainable development and follows the guiding Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation Principles of strengthening the Country ownership and reinforcing mutual accountability as well as promoting a win-win partnership.
The Office of the Italian Development Cooperation Agency in Addis Ababa and the Ministry of Finance of Ethiopia are negotiating a new Cooperation Country Framework for the period 2020-22 with an increased budget up to 140 Million Euro, witnessing the priority that Italy continues to attach to the partnership with Ethiopia.
PRESS REVIEW
Ethiopian TV (From min 0:00)
See also:
Embassy of Italy in Ethiopia: News and Facebook post
Ministry of Finance: News, Tweet and Facebook post
On 25th of February, Italy has been recognized by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for its contribution to the development of the private sector in Ethiopia, in particular for its leading role in the Multi Donor Initiative (MDI) focused on two main pillars: investment climate and access to finance. The recognition reception has taken place in Hyatt Regency Hotel with the participation of all the donors involved in the initiative: Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States.
In the past 8 years, Italy has had a triggering role in shaping the MDI for Private Sector Development in Ethiopia and the development of the initiative, implemented by the IFC.
Thanks to the joint effort of the many donors and IFC, at February 2020 many results have been achieved in both pillars area, such as:
For more detailed information, refer to the latest newsletter by IFC, February 2020 – Vol.3: www.ifc.org.
In the framework of the Second International Agro-Industry Investment Forum, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Italian Trade Agency of Addis Ababa, organized the side event on The Ethio - Italian Private-Public Partnership for the Sustainable Development of Agro-industry, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Industry and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
To download the press release, please click here.
On the 06th of February, AICS Addis Abeba participated to the opening cerimony of the International Coffee Conference, Exhibition and Festival 2020 organized by the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture.
During the event, Adugna Debela (Ph.D.), Director-General of Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA), officially launched the new Ethiopian Coffee Brand Logo which represents the “Coffee from the Land of Origins”: Ethiopia. The new logo should distinguish Ethiopian coffee all over the world, and allow Ethiopian farmers to have premium prices for their production.
The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) - Addis Abeba Office supports the agro-industrial and private sector development in the country, and in particular it is committed to improve the sustainability and inclusiveness of the Ethiopian coffee value chain through private and public partnership. The project, implemented through UNIDO, is a great example of the involvement of the Italian private sector in the development cooperation, thanks to the participation of illycaffè and Ernesto Illy Foundation, two Italian excellencies in the coffee value chains worldwide.
The Embassy of Italy in Ethiopia and AICS Addis Ababa take part in the Festival for Sustainable Development (Festival dello Sviluppo Sostenibile), this year held online from the 22nd of September to the 8th of October.
The Festival is the largest Italian initiative to raise awareness and mobilize citizens, Private and Public Sector on the topic of economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The Festival also aims at achieving a cultural and political change that can allow Italy to implement the 2030 Agenda of the UN and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As part of the Festival, AICS Addis Ababa and the Embassy of Italy in Ethiopia organized a webinar entitled: "Ethiopia: Results and Perspectives towards the 2030 Agenda Realization" that will take place on the online platform Zoom on Tuesday 6th October morning from 10.00 to 11.30 am (CET).
The webinar will focus on the status of the achievement of the 2030 Agenda’s objectives in Ethiopia, and it will also aim at sharing appropriate reflections and ideas for the future.
During the first part of the webinar, AICS’ implementing partners – from Government Institutions, UN, and the Civil Society – will present initiatives in the Health, WASH, and Industrial Development sectors explaining how their projects aim at achieving targets and related SDGs.
The speakers will intervene on behalf of:
A debate on SDGs will follow and it will be facilitated by AICS Addis Ababa’s staff. The debate will see the speakers, the Partners CSOs, and the participants as protagonists. The webinar will not only aim at understanding where we are in achieving the SDGs, but also to share important considerations and innovative ideas.
Download the webinar’s agenda here.
Participate on Zoom, follow this link.
Meeting ID: 998 0892 7693
Passcode: 022361
The webinar is open to 100 participants only. Who can’t participate live will be able to watch the video recording that we will upload on our YouTube channel.
Awareness campaigns and prevention are essential to stop the spread of the Covid-19 in Ethiopia and in the rest of the world.
In Bale Zone, COOPI started raising awareness and prevention activities among the beneficiary communities of the project “Emergency initiative for vulnerable returnee and potential migrant populations to mitigate the causes of irregular migration in Bale, Arsi and Western Arsi Zones of Oromia region” funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) – Addis Abeba Office.
What is coronavirus? How is it transmitted and how can the transmission be prevented? This is the basic information being spread, both directly and through community ambassadors who are in charge of disseminating the knowledge in each village.
Village committees received disinfectant, soap and sanitizer, and public handwashing facilities have been installed.
Participants at the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) training, have become themselves spokespersons to raise awareness in the communities.
These activities have been possible thanks to existing funds that have been reoriented to the purpose, as in the case of the Personal Protective Equipment distribution through UNAIDS. During a global pandemic, in fact, it is more important than ever to protect people’s health everywhere: in Italy, Ethiopia, and the rest of the world, in order to protect the common good and everyone’s future!
Photo credits © COOPI
The Double Burden of Diseases and Challenges on Service Provision and Integration in Ethiopia: Evidence Generated from Different Experiences - 26 and 27 February 2020
Ethiopia has made significant progress on social development, including poverty reduction, with encouraging results on Communicable Diseases (CDs) control, improved nutrition, maternal and child health. The country is strongly committed to maintaining this progress moving towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). At the same time, all segments of the population in Ethiopia show signs of the epidemiological shift occurring in most African countries, with a fast-growing prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which call for new and innovative public health strategies to tackle the double burden of diseases.
In Ethiopia, there is evidence of an increasing burden of NCDs and their risk factors. A number of separate small-scale studies and the situational analysis conducted by the Federal Ministry of Health in 2015 (STEPS Survey) [1] substantiate this conclusion. Accordingly, the Federal Ministry of Health developed a national strategic framework on the prevention and control of NCDs and their risk factors. The strategic framework recommended the development of a detailed National and sub-national Strategic Action Plan 2019-2025 (NSAP). The plan outlines detailed actions and interventions required in the prevention and control of the major NCDs, and their risk factors, which should receive due priority in Ethiopia. These are cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes and their shared risk factors including tobacco, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, smoking, and excessive alcohol use, as well as khat consumption. Mental, neurological and substance abuse disorders, that make a large contribution to NCDs, are dealt with separately in the National Mental Health Strategy [2].
Tackling NCDs requires a multi-sectoral approach interlinked with actions to address the broader social determinants of health such poverty, equity and environmental concerns. Prevention and treatment of NCDs represent one of the four categories of services indicators listed by WHO to monitor the level of equity and coverage in the progress towards UHC. There is an urgent need to implement nationwide public health initiatives, with the involvement of different sectors, addressing prevention and control of NCD and their main risk factors. Thus, contributing to the achievement of SDG target 3.4 and progressing towards UHC.
At the same time, control of CDs remains a priority in the HSTP as well as in the Agenda 2030 (SDG target 3.3). The convergence of CD and NCDs represents a challenge and an opportunity to enable sustainable and integrated services provision reducing the risk to further increase inequality in accessing health care services in Ethiopia.
The workshop “The Double Burden of Diseases and Challenges on Service Provision and Integration in Ethiopia: Evidence Generated from Different Experiences” will take place at Jupiter International Hotel on February 26 and 27, 2020 and aims to bring together local and international policy makers, technical experts and development partners to discuss on different experiences and evidence-based technical solutions in the integrated prevention and control of CDs and NCDs. Organized jointly by the Ministry of Health of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) - Addis Ababa, the workshop will see the participation of representatives from Regional Health Bureaus, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Ethiopian Universities, Bilateral and Multilateral Agencies, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), representatives from the Palestinian and Sudanese Ministry of Health, and Italian Universities and Institutes.
A comprehensive agenda will include a site visit to two selected Health Centres providing integrated health services, presentations, panel discussions, plenary discussions, and recommendations.
Follow us on our Social Media accounts for live updates: @AICSAddisAbeba on Facebook and Twitter.
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[1] STEPS Survey on Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Diseases and prevalence of selected NCDs in Ethiopia. Summary Report. EPHI-FMoH-WHO, December 2016.
[2] National Strategic Action Plan (NSAP) for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Ethiopia 2019-2025 FMoH.
