EmONC Assessment Findings Disseminated

A workshop to disseminate the findings of the Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (EmONC) assessment which was organized by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute’s (EPHI) Health Systems and Reproductive Health Directorate was held on October 30, 2017 in Addis Ababa, Hilton Hotel.
The objective of the assessment is to generate evidence on the current availability, utilization and quality of EmONC services in Ethiopia to support strengthening the national EmONC program and assess key determinants of the service.
“It is my privilege to welcome you all to this EmONC ssessment dissemination workshop on behalf of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute. I know that many of you have travelled from quite a distance and I would like to appreciate you to have made this long trip to participate in this workshop. I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to organizers of the workshop worked day and night for the success of this workshop and gathered us together to discuss and share ideas on Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care situations in Ethiopia,” said Dr. Tsigereda Kifle EPHI’s Deputy Director General on her welcoming speech.
H.E. Prof. Yifru Birhan Minister of FDRE Ministry of Health in his opening remark indicated that the 2016 EmONC assessment is a national census of all facilities that provided delivery services in 2015. And that it was conducted by EPHI in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
“EmONC refers to the care of women and newborns during pregnancy, delivery, and the time after delivery (postpartum period) if or when a woman or her newborn experience serious complications. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates up to 15 percent of expected births worldwide develop life-threatening complications during pregnancy, delivery or the postpartum period. Providing emergency care is recognized as an essential and effective component of obstetric services,” added the Minister.
On the workshop a total number of eleven presentations including Methodology and Key Findings, EmONC Indicators, Referral System and Human Resource Availability were presented.
The assessment included all health facilities that rendered the service for twelve months of the year 2015. A total of 3804 health facilities which are all government hospitals and health stations, private or profit making health service providers, non-governmental, religion based or missionary health facilities have been visited.
Also on the workshop, those who played key roles as Technical Working Group, Write Up and Reporting and Steering Committee received certificate of appreciation.