PSI

Ethiopia has the greatest water reserve in Africa – with more than 85% of Nile waters originating from within the East African country. However, it has few irrigation systems in place to adequately use this resource. Only 1% is used to produce power and 1.5% for irrigation. 1

Similarity, Ethiopia also lacks the health care infrastructure to disseminate resources to curb its major health challenges – malaria, HIV/AIDS and child mortality. Ethiopia’s three doctors for every 100,000 citizens equates to Washington, D.C., having only 17 doctors. 2 This acute shortage – especially in rural areas, where 85% of the population lives – is a barrier that leaves many Ethiopians chronically underserved.

Founded in 2003, PSI/Ethiopia has developed national results-based programs for malaria, HIV/AIDS and child survival. These programs are creating realistic opportunities for both private and public sector partners to make long-term investments that help Ethiopia’s most vulnerable lead healthier lives.

1. 1. Source: Ethiopia Fact File, BBC News, January 2004.
2. 2. Source: “Health care worker shortage may be exacerbating HIV/AIDS epidemic,” Infectious Disease News, October 2008.

Health Areas

Child Survival, Diarrheal Disease, HIV, Malaria

Health Impact

PSI/Ethiopia estimates that in 2010, its products and services helped avert:

• 19,423 HIV & TB DALYs1
• 39,862 Reproductive Health DALYs
• 11,745 Malaria Control DALYs
• 49,412 Child Survival DALYs
1. 1. Source: The DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life Year) is a widely-used, credible metric that was first developed by the World Bank and is now routinely relied upon in the public health community.

Health Interventions

• Basic HIV Care and Prevention Package
• HIV Counseling and Testing

Improving Health in Ethiopia

Malaria

Ethiopia fights a year-round battle with mosquitoes that breed malaria. However, the blood-borne disease hits hardest in September or October, just after the rainy season. Out of an estimated 9 million annual malaria cases, only 4-5 million will be treated in a health facility. 1

When PSI/Ethiopia launched SafeNite, it was Ethiopia’s first locally branded and commercially available long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito net in 2004. Today, PSI/Ethiopia markets several brands including non-subsidized nets in urban areas and free nets in vulnerable rural areas.

PSI/Ethiopia has distributed 1 million mosquito nets along with communications campaigns on including radio and billboards to raise public interest. It also supports the Ministry of Health’s free net programs with peer education programming in multiple languages. In 2007, PSI/Ethiopia estimates that its efforts averted more than 108,000 cases of malaria.

Child Survival

Mortality rates for children under 5 have dropped from 204 out of every 1,000 live births in the 1990s to 123 out of every 1,000 live births. 2 PSI/Ethiopia’s diarrhea prevention, de-worming, salt iodization and pneumonia programs are aiding in this steadily decline.

In 2006, PSI/Ethiopia launched two free home-based water purification products: WaterGuard and PUR, Purifier of Water®. PSI/Ethiopia also helped train more than 5,000 community health agents who aided the Ethiopian Government control acute watery diarrhea outbreaks in 2006 and 2007. And PSI/Ethiopia worked with the Government again in 2007 on a universal salt iodization program.

HIV/AIDS

Nearly 1 million Ethiopians are living with HIV, which leaves them more susceptible to tuberculosis (TB). Among the 2.6% of TB patients tested for HIV, 40% are HIV positive. 3 PSI/Ethiopia responded to this dual dilemma with a combined HIV/AIDS and TB workplace education program in 2005 that has reached 20,000 employees in more than 30 large companies.

In 2007, PSI/Ethiopia began promoting mobile voluntary HIV counseling and testing services in partnership with Abt Associates. Its next mission is dispensing pre-packaged treatment kits for sexually transmitted infections.

Living with HIV also puts one at higher risk for developing life-threatening cases of malaria and diarrhea. PSI/Ethiopia partnered with Save the Children in 2007 to help empower those living with HIV to prevent secondary sickness with basic care packages, including mosquito nets, water purification systems and soap.

1. 1. Source: UNICEF, Ethiopia, Key Malaria Facts.
2. 2. Source: United Nations in Ethiopia, 2006-2007.
3. 3. Source: UNAIDS: Ethiopia Tuberculosis Profile, March 2009.

Latest News

• PSI to Attend the International Conference on Aids and STIs in Africa (ICASA)
  December 2, 2011
• PSI launches three pre-packaged STIs treatment kits
  July 8, 2011