Successes and challenges of the millennium development goals in Ethiopia: lessons for the sustainable development goals

Abstract

We analysed the performance of Ethiopia in achieving the health-related millennium development goals (MDGs) with the aim of acquiring lessons for the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Ethiopia achieved most of the health MDGs: a 67% reduction in under-five mortality, a 71% decline in maternal mortality ratio, a 90% decline in new HIV infections, a decrease in malaria-related deaths by 73% and a more than 50% decline in mortality due to tuberculosis. We argue that these achievements are due to implementation of a mix of comprehensive strategies within the health system and across other sectors of the government. Scaling up of interventions by disease control programmes (including the health extension programme) and strengthening of the health system have played important roles towards the achievements. These health gains could not have been realised without progress in the other MDGs: poverty reduction, education, access to safe drinking-water and peace and stability of the country. However, the gains were not equitable, with differences between urban and rural areas, among regions and socioeconomic strata. Ethiopia's remarkable success in meeting most of the targets of the health-related MDGs could be explained by its comprehensive and multisectoral approach for health development. The inequity gap remains a challenge that achieving the health-related SDGs requires the country to implement strategies, which specifically target more marginal populations and geographic areas. This also needs peace and stability, without which it is almost impossible to improve health.

Determinants of Low Fifth Minute Apgar Score among Newborn Delivered in Jimma University Medical Center, Southwest Ethiopia

“…Yet, the pace of progress toward these goals substantially varied at the national level, demonstrating an essential need for tracking even more local trends in child mortality [17]. In Ethiopia, although the target for under-five mortality rate was achieved, the targets for infant and neonatal mortality rates were just below the MDG four targets [18]. Despite a 50% reduction in childhood mortality, reduction of early neonatal death (ENND) has significantly lagged behind other Millennium Developmental Goal achievements and is a growing contributor to overall mortality in children aged <5 years.…”

Male involvement in birth preparedness and complication readiness for emergency referral at Sodo town of Wolaita zone, South Ethiopia: a cross sectional study

“…In our country Ethiopia, the ratio of maternal mortality (MMR) is estimated to be 412 deaths per 100,000 live births according to the report from Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (EDHS) [3]. It was declined from 1400 in 1990 to 412 in 2015 by 71% which was subsequently near the objective for MDG 5 (75%) [4].…”

Progress in adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights globally between 1990 and 2016: what progress has been made, what contributed to this, and what are the implications for the future?

“…At the subnational level, the focus and clarity of the adolescent reproductive health strategies have been replaced with a dilution of focus and lack of direction on the way forwardongoing work on ASRH has suffered while work on an expanded set of areas has made limited and uneven progress. 53,54 Defining priorities requires an understanding of the many issues that need to be addressed, the availability of evidence-based interventions and the potential for action, for example, local expectations and capacity. There are important precedents in other areas.…”