Addis Ababa - Twenty-one health service providers from Ethiopia's Somali Region completed a 10-day advanced KAIZEN training aimed at strengthening quality management across health facilities. The training was delivered with technical and financial support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), as part of UNFPA Ethiopia's Japan-funded TICAD Project.
The training is part of a broader effort by UNFPA Ethiopia, in partnership with JICA, to equip more than 50 health service providers across the Afar and Somali regions with skills in 5S-KAIZEN-Total Quality Management (TQM). The approach, originally developed in Japanese manufacturing to improve efficiency and reduce waste, is increasingly being applied in health facilities to improve patient flow, resource management, and service quality from admission to discharge.
The training is one component of a wider project, launched in May 2026, that advances sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for women and young people in Ethiopia through digital health technology. Funded by the Government and People of Japan with close to USD 750,000 in support, the project reflects the TICAD 9 slogan of "co-creating innovative solutions with Africa," strengthening service quality at five mobile health clinics and their referral facilities in Afar and Somali regions.
Participants describe a shift in how they deliver care
For Fathiya Abdi Haji, a Liaison Officer at Sheik Hassen Yabare Comprehensive Specialized Hospital with Jigjiga University, the training reshaped her approach to patient management.
"This training equipped me with valuable skills in effective patient management and quality care from patient admission to discharge," she said.
Ibrahim Mohammed, a nurse at Karamara General Hospital, said the training sharpened both his clinical and communication skills.
"I work as a nurse at Karamara General Hospital. This training provided me with practical skills on the efficient use of resources to deliver quality patient care, communicate effectively with patients and better respond to their needs," he said.
Part of a broader Ethiopia-Japan partnership on quality and care
KAIZEN has a long history in Ethiopia beyond the health sector. Since 2009, JICA has supported the Ethiopian government in disseminating KAIZEN principles across manufacturing and industry, positioning Ethiopia as a regional hub for KAIZEN training in Africa. The TICAD KAIZEN Center in Addis Ababa, built with Japanese grant support, now trains thousands of participants annually and has become a flagship symbol of Ethiopia-Japan cooperation.
UNFPA Ethiopia's work with JICA extends this partnership into health and gender programming. In addition to the KAIZEN health trainings, the two organizations have collaborated on menstrual health and hygiene initiatives, including a 2024 partnership in the Tigray region supporting women's livelihoods and access to reusable sanitary products, and broader efforts across the country to expand access to dignified menstrual health management.
By applying KAIZEN principles to frontline health facilities, UNFPA and JICA aim to translate a globally recognized quality-improvement methodology into tangible, measurable gains in patient care, particularly in underserved regions like Afar and Somali, where strengthening the health workforce is central to improving maternal, newborn, and reproductive health outcomes.
