Injibara town, Amhara region, 22 February 2023 – The Embassy of Japan and UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, today jointly organized
Ms. ITO Takako, Ambassador of Japan to Ethiopia signed the project agreement.
the launching ceremony for a project amounting to USD 1.14 million to primarily improve health and address the protection needs of women and adolescent girls.
The project titled “Addressing Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV)’’ will be implemented in selected emergency-affected woredas in Amhara and Benishangul-Gumuz Regions. It will reach 160 thousand populations, especially women and girls, with lifesaving services of SRH and GBV. It will also contribute to strengthening governmental and institutional capacity through the provision of medical supplies and commodities, capacity-building training of frontline service providers, and support for mobile health teams to approach the vulnerable population in hard-to-reach areas.
Eight districts from North Shewa, West Gojjam, Awi, and Oromo Nationality zones have been selected from the Amhara region, and two districts from the Metekel zone of Benishangul Gumuz region for the implementation of the project.
H.E, Ms. ITO Takako, Ambassador of Japan to Ethiopia, said, “Japan will continue to provide assistance in expanding gender-sensitive services by working together with the Ministry of Health, local authorities, UNFPA, and other partner organizations. The health sector is indeed one of the priority sectors for Japan’s development cooperation in Ethiopia, and Japan has been providing various medical equipment as well as mobile clinics to strengthen the overall health system in Ethiopia. To upgrade healthcare quality, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is currently providing technical assistance to hospitals in Addis Ababa, aiming to improve hospital management and
health and dignity kits.
service delivery through the KAIZEN approach.”
Ms. Suzanne Mandong, UNFPA Representative in Ethiopia, appreciated the contribution of the people and the Embassy of Japan and said that the support allows UNFPA to enhance the delivery of critical maternal and reproductive health services to women, girls, and young people including GBV survivors impacted by conflicts and create a resilient system. “As we celebrate our 50th year anniversary of operations in Ethiopia, we recommit to achieving UNFPA’s three transformative results of ending preventable maternal death, ending unmet need for family planning, and ending gender-based violence against women and girls in Ethiopia. The support of the Embassy of Japan is crucial for us to deliver on our promises,” she noted.
The project will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Amhara and Benishangul-Gumuz Regional Health Bureaus, Public Health Emergency Management centers, Bureaus of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs, and relevant district sectoral offices.
The project is part of UNFPA’s 9th Country Programme (2020-2025). The Country Programme, commenced in July 2020 and is implemented in 9 Regions responding to national priorities as articulated by the Government of Ethiopia.
About Japan’s Humanitarian Assistance to Ethiopia
The Government of Japan has been providing humanitarian assistance globally in partnership with various international organizations to respond to emergencies caused by natural disasters and conflicts. Japan’s humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia in 2023 worth about USD 25 million focuses on: 1) food security; 2) protection and basic needs; 3) SRH and GBV; 4) mine action and 5) human rights.
For more information about the Government of Japan and the Embassy of Japan and its assistance, please visit: https://www.mofa.go.jp/index.html and https://www.et.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html
For further information, please contact:
- Dejene Sakoume, Communication Officer, Embassy of Japan,
E-mail: dejene.sakoume@ad.mofa.go.jpMobile: 0911 753486
