National assessment of the Ethiopian health extension program

Abstract

As a country of more than 110 million people with more 78% rural residents, ensuring provision of preventive, promotive and curative health services with access and equity in mind is critical. Cognizant of these, an innovative approach which employed an army of women health workers known by the name health extension workers was initiated in 2004. The program has become a flagship intervention, which has managed to employ 36,633 HEWs deployed all over the country in agrarian, pastoralist, and urban settings. The program also established 17,685 health posts. It is believed that, the HEP program has played a pivotal role in improving access, in reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality.