Health
Expanding access and improving health care quality and standards in Ethiopia
While Ethiopia has made significant progress in reducing maternal and under-five mortality and combating HIV, malaria and other diseases, significant challenges remain. This includes a struggling health system, including underfunded health services, not enough skilled or specialized health care providers, and lack of investment in adolescent, maternal and newborn health.
Much also remains to be done to build a resilient health system amidst multiple humanitarian and climate crises.
Evidence shows that maternal and child deaths have been in decline since 2000. Yet, maternal and newborn mortality remain unacceptably high. Lack of access to quality antenatal, obstetric and postnatal health services, especially in rural areas, hampers further progress in reducing maternal deaths. Reducing newborn deaths within the first 28 days remains a challenge.
Survival and health in numbers
- Maternal mortality: 1 in 709 women will die of pregnancy related causes.
- Under-5 child mortality: 1 in 20 children will die before reaching the age of 5.
- Infant mortality: 1 in 20 infants will die before reaching 1 year old.
- Neonatal mortality: 1 in 40 newborns will die within their first 4 weeks of life.
- Routine immunization: 30% of children aged 12–23 months are fully vaccinated with all basic antigens, while 20% have received no vaccinations at all
- Antenatal care coverage: 78% of women received antenatal care from a skilled provider for their most recent birth, 53% had at least four ANC visits, and 22% received no ANC visits.
- Skilled birth attendance: Based on the 2024-2025 Ethiopian Demographics and Health Survey Report, 64% of deliveries were assisted by a skilled provider (and 62% took place in a health facility).
- Postnatal care: Based on the 2024-2025 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey Report, 36% of mothers and 31% of newborns received a postnatal checkup within two days of delivery.
- HIV: Overall, 0.8% of women and men aged 15-49 in Ethiopia are living with HIV. Prevalence is higher among women (1.0%) than men (0.5%). Among adolescents and young adults aged 15-24, HIV affects 0.3% of the population, with young women (0.4%) experiencing a higher prevalence than young men (0.1%).
Solutions
With the Government and partners, UNICEF is helping women and children receive essential medical care, increasing the number of hospitals with neonatal intensive care units, procuring vaccines for deadly diseases like measles, cholera, polio, and pneumonia, training health workers and providing equipment and medicine for Primary Health Care Units (PHCUs) and Hospitals.
Overall, UNICEF’s aim is to support the Government on its pathway to providing quality, affordable and universal healthcare for every child and women in Ethiopia. This includes supporting health extension workers and broader primary health care to deliver lifesaving health, immunization, and nutrition services in rural and remote areas; and working with the Government to improve access to health supplies, vaccine cold chain, training for health professionals, data collection and uptake of community insurance schemes.
UNICEF works with the community, including women’s networks, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations and local religious, traditional leaders and other influencers, to address harmful traditional beliefs and negative social norms. This includes working to support vaccine demand through health workers, radio and TV.
Through conflict, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF is on the ground before, during and after emergencies to restore and maintain lifesaving health services for every child. We also work to build the capacity of the Government and partners to identify gaps and risks and improve emergency preparedness, response, recovery and resilience.