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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Yared Abera, Pathfinder International Ethiopia, PO BOX: 25010, African Unity Avenue, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 0000000, yaredab@yahoo.com

Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa, with a population of 77 million. Key health indicators show measurable improvements: in the past five years use of modern contraception has risen from 8% to 14%, and child mortality rates have decreased from 166 to 141 per thousand live births. While these advances are promising, reproductive health and family planning needs are still high. The total fertility rate is 5.4 and the unmet need for family planning is 34%. Very few (5%) women deliver in a health facility, and HIV/AIDS poses a significant public health threat. In recent years, private sector efforts to increase access to RH services have emerged. Pathfinder International initiated the Biruh Tesfa social franchise in 2000 with funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. This was one of the first attempts to organize private health practitioners in Ethiopia, and has evolved into a network of 130 private-for-profit clinics. The franchise emphasizes RH services such as family planning, ANC, delivery, and post-natal care. Current efforts, now funded by USAID Ethiopia, are focused on ensuring the long-term sustainability of the network. As such, the project has organized voluntary community outreach workers into local associations, encouraged active community outreach workers and marketplace agents to attain the status of “depot holders”, and has identified a local professional association to take over responsibility of managing the network. Strengthening this association so that it can successfully adopt the role of franchisor will be a central focus over the next year.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the key components of the Biruh Tesfa social franchise.
• Identify the potential role the private sector in Ethiopia can play in meeting public health objectives.
• Articulate strategies for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Biruh Tesfa franchise.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation