USAID Ethiopia Mission Director Dennis Weller announced that Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is joining the Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program at an event in Addis Ababa where one of the first new volunteers was introduced. The F2F program connects farmers in the United States with their counterparts in East Africa for training and technical assistance. In addition to Ethiopia, the CRS program will include volunteer assignments in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.
The U.S. Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), inaugurated a new sesame warehouse in Dansha today with the Ethiopian Federal Cooperative Agency. This is one of four new warehouses constructed over the last 18 months in Tigray and Amhara Regions. USAID cooperated on the construction of two warehouses in Tigray with the Setit Humera and Dansha Aurora FCUs and two more warehouses in Amhara with the Metema and Selam Farmers’ Cooperative Unions (FCUs). The 20,000 Metric Ton storage capacity in the four warehouses will allow the FCUs to purchase more sesame from their combined 41,713 member farmers. USAID’s investment of $1.4 million and assistance in facilitating $611,605 in loans from the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia—a financing first for the bank and FCUs—was instrumental in construction of the warehouses.
Over the last few years, Ethiopia has achieved considerable gains in the health sector. According to the latest health survey, infant mortality and under-five mortality, since 2008, have decreased by 39 and 47 percent respectively, propelling Ethiopia to achieve its Millennium Development Goal Four in 2013. This success is attributable to the determined leadership and commitment of the Ethiopian Government, and the partnership and support of all stakeholders.
Despite such gains, the health system still faces some serious challenges, including a shortage of qualified human resources and a lack of sustainable financing. These challenges are complex, and can only be solved through enhanced partnership between the public and private sectors.
Today, USAID’s Sustainable Water and Sanitation in Africa (SUWASA) activity officially handed over 14 new water facilities to the residents and the administration of Hawassa, the capital city of the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region of Ethiopia. The new facilities, completed in February 2014, have already brought significant health benefits to 12,600 residents of three low-income settlements of Addis Katema, Tulu and Tabor.
It is my great pleasure to be here today on behalf of United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, to participate with you in the 9th National TB Research Annual Conference and commemorate World TB Day. I would like to thank the Federal Ministry of Health, the TB Research Advisory Committee, and this year’s conference hosts, the SNNP Regional Health Bureau and Hawassa University for inviting USAID to underline and reinforce our support for the strong partnership gathered here today to combat this deadly disease.
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