As Ethiopia moves from Millennium Development Goal targets to the longer-term Sustainable Development Goal priorities, Ethiopia’s Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) is focused on creating an effective continuum of care that allows those populations at the lowest levels of access to engage with the primary health care (PHC) system.
The Achieving Excellence in Primary Health Care (FENOT) project (2015-2017), was developed by the Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health and JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. to strengthen the PHC system in Ethiopia through improving the use of evidence-based practices at all levels, supporting health financing operations, and developing and testing innovations in PHC service delivery. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, FENOT is a follow-on to the HEPCAPS2 project (2012-2015), which worked closely with the FMOH to conduct studies and develop and test models that could be used to help strengthen primary health care in Ethiopia.
The overarching goal of FENOT is to support the Ethiopian FMOH and Regional Health Bureaus (RHBs) by providing training and capacity building to engage the next generation of Health Extension Professionals and ensure the sustainability and continued progression of the Ethiopian PHC system. The project provides consistent, need-based, and action-oriented technical support through training, mentoring, experience-sharing visits, and other innovative mechanisms to build national and regional PHC systems capacity.
Under HEPCAPS2, a curriculum and training package were developed to support upgrading the skills and responsibilities of volunteer community health workers. Additionally, service packages and implementation guidelines for a second generation health extension program were developed. FENOT will pilot the packages and evaluate the effects of these newly designed strategies and programs.
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