Ministry Accentuates Health Insurance Expansion Significance

- Service reaches out to over 54 mln citizens through health insurance

Ministry of Health stated that it is working in close collaboration with the Ethiopian Health Insurance Service for providing all citizens with quality health service and expanding accessibility.

The Service organized an event yesterday to evaluate 2015 fiscal year work performance and 2016 fiscal year Plan under the theme: 'Health Insurance Membership for Common Prosperity.'

Opening the gathering, Service Director General Tesfaye Worku said that the service has so far provided over 54 million citizens with health accesses in some 1,006 woredas across the country. Of this total figure, some 10 million citizens are incapable of paying for the service and their fee is covered the government. The Service was commenced in 2011 in four selected states, 13 districts accommodating 125,142 household members. Currently, the service has 12,000,000 household members in 1006 woredas, according to the report.

Ethiopian Health Insurance Service disclosed that it has so far provided over 54 million citizens with health service in some 1,006 districts across the nation through health insurance, he added.

As to him, the service has been providing inclusive health service, attempting to produce healthy and productive citizens, ensuring the benefit of women and children as well as reaching out to the unreached are the priority areas leading to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as far as health concerns are concerned. He added that the service endeavors to provide health insurance service in the remaining districts that have not benefited out of the scheme for various reasons.

As to him, Ethiopia collects 4.8 billion Birr from health insurance a year.

Health State Minister Dereje Duguma (MD) on his part said that the Ministry has been working in close collaboration with the Ethiopian Health Insurance Service aiming at providing all citizens with quality health accessibility. In this regard, the governmentattaches due emphasis to quality health and it is a commendable stepto add value to the effort geared towards ensuring the holistic health sector change.

Dereje further stated that Ethiopia is striving to realize the 2030 SDGs in the health sector. However, health service accessibility, quality, and sustainable finance should take a lion's share so as to succeed 2030 SDGs. Particularly, improving the local financial system using own resource would play a vital role in reducing the challenge of financial risk, which is a major step for providing quality health for all.

He further underlined that conducting national campaign, informing the political leaders about the issue, involving all stakeholders, addressing all districts especially those which are seriously exposed to conflict and drought would help come up with outcomes for realizing the SDGs in the health sector.