Ethiopia Humanitarian Response Plan 2024 / Part 3: Cluster/Sector Objectives and Response

3.7 Health

PEOPLE IN NEED
16.4 million
PEOPLE TARGETED
6.7 million
REQUIREMENTS (US$)
187.3 million
CHILDREN
51%
WOMEN
22%
MEN
22%
WITH DISABILITY
18%

Food - People targeted

Objectives

The Health Cluster aims to collectively prepare for and respond to humanitarian and public health emergencies to improve health outcomes of crisis affected populations through timely, predictable, appropriate, effective, and coordinated health action.



Response

The Health Cluster currently has 57 operational partners including national and international NGOs, the Red Cross Movement, UN agencies, the Ministry of Health, and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI).

To effectively respond to recurrent emergencies in Ethiopia, the Health Cluster will closely collaborate with the Ministry of Health at all levels in ensuring localized coordination of response for maximum impact. A network of dedicated and double-hatting Health Cluster coordinators and co-coordinators throughout the country will allow for close interaction with health partners to mobilize additional resources, and flexibly adapt ongoing response interventions to where the needs are highest. Partners will be supported with emergency kits by the 3 core pipeline suppliers (UNFPA, UNICEF, and WHO), funding for provision of health services and last-mile delivery of supplies, as well as technical expertise through training and guidelines.

One of the core functions of the Health Cluster is the provision of essential life-saving quality health services. The Health Cluster, jointly with the Sexual and Reproductive Health Technical Working Group, will further advocate for increased access to the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for lifesaving reproductive health services including medical response to GBV.

Health cluster will work closely with protection cluster to strengthen and improve mental health and psychosocial support needs analysis and response.

Health partners are playing a crucial role in health service delivery to difficult-to-reach populations through mobile health and nutrition Teams (MHNT). MHNT are currently considered an emergency health intervention, whereas they are often the only means to access health care for remote populations, particularly in regions with over 80 per cent of pastoralist population, like Afar and Somali.

Another key focus of the Health Cluster is to advocate for uninterrupted access to essential supplies for the diagnosis and treatment of communicable diseases like HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections, TB, and non-communicable diseases, like diabetes, and hypertension.

During 2024, the Health Cluster plans to standardize health services provided by health partners through so-called Essential Health Care Packages, in line with existing government guidance. Inclusion of MHNT as part of these Essential Health Care Packages to reduce dependence on often short-term emergency funding, is part of the Health Cluster’s advocacy package. This will also include continued support to Afar, Amhara, and Tigray regions, as ongoing insecurity is impeding access to large parts of the regions, despite the peace agreement signed in November 2022.

Local health partners have a unique role to play in health service provision, last-mile delivery of supplies, and disease outbreak response in areas with difficult access to government, and UN agencies. The Health Cluster plans to strengthen preparedness and prevention of recurrent emergencies through joint contingency and response planning, in close collaboration with other clusters, like with WASH for cholera.

The Health Cluster will continue to advocate for improved data quality and information sharing with EPHI, to enable appropriate and timely response to disease outbreaks. Thanks to data collected through the Health Resources and Availability Monitoring System (HeRAMS) in Tigray and Afar regions so far, a detailed picture is emerging about the need to support the rehabilitation and repair of damaged health facilities. During 2024, HeRAMS is planned in Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, and Oromia. Related to this, the Health Cluster aims to strengthen data collection on attacks on health care for advocacy purposes.

Jointly with the Agriculture, Food, Nutrition, Protection and WASH Clusters, the Health Cluster will continue and further expand inter-cluster initiatives, taking advantage of the existing multi-sectoral capacities of NGO partners. As part of the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus, the Health Cluster will strengthen its advocacy for longer-term, development funding to address root causes of disease outbreaks like cholera (availability of safe drinking water quality and combatting open defecation with the WASH Cluster), and measles (improving routine immunization with the Nutrition Cluster).


Financial requirements

Based on a unit cost of US$30 per beneficiary per year, US$187,335,866 is required for the 2024 HRP. Of this, 42 per cent (US$78,104,666) will cover the cost of medicines and other health supplies; the remaining 58 per cent will cover the cost of activities. For minor rehabilitation of health facilities, an additional US$2,000,000 will be added as a lump sum.


Monitoring

Monthly data collected through ActivityInfo provides a good overview of partners’ interventions, including last-mile delivery of emergency kits. Physical monitoring of health partners’ interventions greatly depends on available resources at regional level, enabling Health Cluster coordinators to rent vehicles for regular visits to remote locations.


Thanks to a network of dedicated and double-hatting Information Management Officers, the Health Cluster can update its dashboard, as well as the necessary maps and graphs representing partners’ presence and their contributions to the various ongoing emergencies in the country.