Dr Gebreab Barnabas, Head of the Regional Health Bureau in Tigray province, talked to ONE recently about a primary health care programme that has been running in Ethiopia.
The scheme, which started 5 years ago, involves the training 30,000 female health extension workers nationally, including 1,800 in Tigray. Supported by the Ethiopian government, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, UNICEF and other partners, it also involves the building of more than 3000 heath centres.
Programmes such as this help put health care in the hands of the local community. Not only is primary health care less costly, but its impact can be huge. By eliminating the risk of the disease it helps reduce the costs of diagnosis, treatment and follow up.
Hear what Dr Barnabas had to say:
