UNFPA Ethiopia
About
UNFPA began operations in Ethiopia in 1973. Working with both the Government of Ethiopia and civil society, UNFPA aims to improve the quality of life of the Ethiopian people by focusing on three main thematic areas: reproductive health, population and development, and gender. The Fund has assisted Ethiopia through five country programmes, and its current programme, the sixth, will extend from 2007-2011.
UNFPA in Ethiopia
UNFPA has started the implementation of its 6th Country Programme (2007-2011) on 1 January 2007. It has assisted Ethiopia since 1973 through five county programmes. The population and development component of the previous programmes helped to integrate population and gender issues into the needs assessment for the Millennium Development Goals and the Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty. This component also supported the second demographic and health survey undertaken by the Ethiopian government, as well as preparatory work for the 2007 population and housing census.
In the 5 th programme, the reproductive health component focused on increasing access to high-quality reproductive health information and services by: (a) training health professionals; (b) supplying emergency obstetric care equipment; (c) promoting condom use; (d) preventing and treating obstetric fistula; and (e) establishing voluntary counseling and testing centers. It helped to produce a reproductive health strategy document and the adolescent reproductive health strategic action plan; develop a contraceptive logistics management system; and strengthen technical and institutional capacity for programme management.
Emerging from lessons learned in previous programmes, UNFPA's 6 th Country Programme focuses programme interventions thematically so that resources are made available where needs are greatest. It also aims to create effective coordinating mechanisms and decentralized structures to facilitate programme implementation, forging partnerships to better reflect population issues in national development plans. Finally, it uses flexible modalities such as sector-wide approaches to leverage resources and support programme implementation.
UNFPA, active member of the UNCT
UNFPA is an active member of the UN family reinforcing joint efforts to promote and support the ICPD Programme of Action. The Millennium Development Goals are at the heart of joint programme formulation and implementation – within the context of national policies and programmes.
UNFPA has participated in all joint activities of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in the country and has played a lead role in the inclusion of population, reproductive health and gender issues in the MDG Needs Assessment. As a result of advocacy effort of the UNFPA, population is treated as a cross-cutting issue in the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). Thus population will occupy a center stage in the UN development assistance to the Government of Ethiopia.
UNFPA is currently supporting a five-year population programme (January 2007 - January 2011) to assist the Government of Ethiopia in achieving its population and development objectives. The portfolio budget for the 6th Country Programme is $96.25 million, of which $22.75 is sourced from UNFPA regular resources, with the remaining balance raised through co-financing modalities.
The programme is aligned with the Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty, the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).
