China officially inaugurated poverty alleviation office on Thursday in Addis Ababa.
Executive Vice President with China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA), Wang Xingzui, during his welcoming remarks noted that the foundation, together with partners, has implemented the Smiling Children School Feeding Project, Wash Project and Women Economic Empowerment Projects in Ethiopia since 2015. These projects have benefited approximately 27,000 Ethiopian women and children.
CFPA’s Smiling Children School Feeding Program provides meals in 43 public schools for nearly 5,000 students in Addis Ababa.
With support from a Chinese construction company, XCMG, CFPA has built 80 water cellars which substantially alleviate water shortages for local residents in dry seasons to provide access to clean and safe water in a renewable, sustainable and environmentally-friendly way in rural areas.
Through the provision of technical and marketable skills, Women Economic Empowerment Project contributes to the creation of jobs for Ethiopian women by using traditional techniques and materials.
CFPA has targeted to distribute 43,000 School Panda Packs to students of the schools. (Walta)
Ethiopia launches 7th national health account
Ethiopia launched the 7th National Health Account (NHA VII) on Wednesday.
A health account (HA) aims to generate up-to-date empirical evidence on spending in health care in order to inform health policy formulation and development.
Ethiopia tracks spending on health every three years and six rounds of health accounts were conducted since the HA introduced in to the country back at the beginning of the millennium in 2000.
According to the National Health Account VII report, the total health spending in Ethiopia increased from 49.5 billion birr in 2013/14 to 72 billion birr in 2016/17.
Out of pocket spending decreased from 33 percent to 31 percent, while government’s contribution increased from 30 percent to 32 percent, Amir Aman (MD), Minister of Health, wrote on Twitter.
The total health spending per capita also increased from USD 28.6 to USD 33.2. About 41 percent of the budget goes to primary health care unit and 29.4 percent goes to hospitals, the Minister added. (FBC)
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Ethiopian woman receives OU’s International Water Prize
An Ethiopian woman who helps coordinate government workers and private, self-help groups to promote clean water and sanitation formally received the 2019 University of Oklahoma International Water Prize at a banquet Tuesday evening.
Martha Gebeyehu received the USD 25,000 cash prize and hand-blown glass trophy shaped like a water droplet at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History at the end of the OU WaTER Center’s two-day conference.
Martha, who was chosen the winner by five jurors in 2018, said much of her country does not have access to adequate drinking water. Ninety four percent of the population drinks untreated water and nearly that many do not have access to basic sanitation.
Martha, of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is the training center manager at the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church. She has trained more than a million people in proper water and sanitation, according to OU Interim Vice President Jane Irungu, who introduced and embraced Martha as a fellow East African woman. (CNHI News Oklahoma)
Egyptian vehicle start-up Halan to expand to Ethiopia
Halan, an Egyptian technology start-up that uses two- and three-wheeled vehicles to transport passengers and goods, will begin operating in Ethiopia before the end of 2019, its chief executive told Reuters on Thursday.
The company, which targets underserved communities, is also expanding to more cities in the Egyptian governorates of Sharqeya, Daqahleya, Damietta, Qena and Gharbeya this year, said CEO and founder Mounir Nakhla.
Halan’s app allows customers to request motorbike or tuk-tuk rides, or order food or goods for delivery via motorbikes or cargo tricycles. Founded in November 2017, it already operates in around 20 to 25 cities in Egypt and Sudan.
“Halan completes a few million rides per month, almost half a million of which are in food deliveries,” Nakhla said, adding ride-hailing trips had increased 55 percent and food deliveries more than quadrupled in the year to date.
Nakhla, who has a background in microfinance, hopes Halan will become “pan-African” and said he saw tremendous opportunity for growth on the continent. (Reuters)
