Developing primary care in Ethiopia to meet the Millennium Development Goals

摘要

The Ethiopian government’s response to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) has been to dramatically increase primary care and community-based services, with four- to fivefold increases in workforce and facilities. In rural Ethiopia, where 85% of the population live, over 90% now have access to a healthcare facility within 2-hours walk. However, the 2015 MDG 5 target for maternal mortality in Ethiopia is 218 per 100 000 live births and in 2000 the Ethiopian Demographic Survey reported a maternal mortality rate of 871 per 100 000 live births, falling to 673 in 2005, but static at 671 in 2010.1 The harsh reality is that one in 31 women in Ethiopia still die from complications of childbirth. Despite the increase in health provision, only 19% of women attend four antenatal appointments, and 57% have no antenatal care. There are at least four major factors that prevent women gaining access to care that will allow them to deliver more safely.