With community-based care, culturally appropriate health education, and medical supplies, PPGG and EECMY bring much-needed support to rural Ethiopians struggling to stay alive and well.
Limited Access to Adequate Health Care
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38% of Ethiopians have no access to public health services.
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Over half of all households must walk more than 2 hours (6 miles) to reach the nearest health facility.
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Only 3 physicians are available to serve every 100,000 people.
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Inadequately staffed hospitals and health facilities often lack sterilization equipment; face shortages of medications and anesthesia; even require patients to bring their own drugs and basic supplies.
Poor Sanitation
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Only one quarter of all Ethiopians have access to clean drinking water.
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In rural areas, 96% lack adequate sanitation facilities.
Hunger and Malnutrition
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Ethiopia has one of the highest child malnutrition rates in sub-Saharan Africa and the world: more than half the children under 5 are stunted.
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Heavy workloads, poor diets, and frequent pregnancies severely undermine women's nutritional status.
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Chronic poverty and food shortages persist, leaving millions in need of emergency relief.
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38% of the Ethiopian population are moderately to severely underweight; 47% are stunted.
Infectious Disease
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Ethiopia is one of the most malaria-epidemic prone countries in Africa, with over 3.1 million people at risk in 2006.
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Tuberculosis is the biggest killer of Ethiopian women: 96 deaths per 100,000.
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The risk for malaria, meningitis, measles, acute respiratory infections, and diarrhea is increasing, especially for children and pregnant women.
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Up to 3 million people are infected with HIV—and the pandemic is quickly spreading.
Child Health and Mortality
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Between 1995 and 2000, nearly 1 in every 10 newborns died before age one; 1 in every 6 children died before age 5, often due to preventable diseases.
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Diarrhea and pneumonia are the main causes of early death among children, and HIV has emerged as a growing cause of early childhood death.
Call to Action
Improve access to essential health and nutrition services through our CBRH Program:
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Expand the number of villages we serve with primary care
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Provide education on primary health issues: vaccination, safe drinking water, good nutrition, childhood illness prevention and care, pregnancy self-care, and prevention of infectious disease, especially HIV/AIDS
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Obtain and distribute desperately needed medical supplies
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Offer home-based care to people living with HIV/AIDS
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