Ethiopia Health Insurance / Healthcare System

Ethiopia is located in East of Africa. Bordering countries include Eritrea in the North, Djibouti in the North East, Somalia in the East and South East, Kenya in the South and Sudan in the West. The total land area of the country is 1,221,480 square kilometers. The capital city of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa, which is situated near the center of the country.

Ethiopia is located very close to the equator, weather is generally tropical; however, temperatures vary according to the altitude. Ethiopia has an average annual temperature of about 27°C. The lowlands are generally hot and humid while the temperatures in the Ethiopian Highlands are cooler. The dry season runs from October to May, while the rainy season lasts from mid-June to mid-September.

Ethiopia is the only African country that had never been fully colonised, because of this, the country has managed to retain its unique culture. It has its own script and language and maintains a strong sense of national identity. Ethiopia is one of Africa’s greatest cultural destinations, with a number of World Heritage sites. The country is full of beautiful mountains and landscapes.

The Ministry of Health in Ethiopia is responsible for overseeing the overall operation of the country’s healthcare system. It is accountable for preparing, publishing and distributing the national standards for health posts, health centers and district hospitals in the country.

Ethiopia is a poor country and the infrastructure of the healthcare system is weak. The Government is the main healthcare service provider but the coverage and distribution of the healthcare facilities among regions are uneven. There is a lack of access to basic healthcare facilities in rural areas.

Primary healthcare in Ethiopia is provided by facilities including health centers and health posts. In 2007/8, there were 732 health centers and 11,446 health posts throughout the country. About 85% of the healthcare provision is provided by public healthcare facilities, while the remaining 15% is provided by the private healthcare sector. Private healthcare mainly focuses in the urban areas, where less than 15% of the population lives, as such this sector only serves a small portion of the people in the country.

In terms of hospitals, both public and private hospitals are available in Ethiopia. There were a total of 149 hospitals in the country in 2007/08, among all, 40 belongs to the private sector, while 100 are State owned and 9 are supported by non-governmental organisations. The total expenditure that the Government spent on healthcare in Ethiopia is around 4.3% of the country’s GDP.

Widespread diseases in Ethiopia include malaria, tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhea, leprosy, dysentery, and schistosomiasis. Infectious and communicable diseases account for about 60-80% of the health problems in the country. The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is estimated at 2.1%.

The health status in Ethiopia is poor; this is mainly due to the circulation of communicable diseases caused by poor sanitation and nutritional deficiencies. On top of that, there is a shortage of trained medical personnel in the healthcare system. It is advised that travellers to obtain appropriate vaccinations and medications prior to travelling to Ethiopia.

Medical personnel in Ethiopia receive low wages, for this reason, the majority of them often seek out second jobs to make ends meet. This has resulted to frequent absenteeism in medical staff. The management is reluctant to challenge the physicians over their frequent absences from work as well as their tendencies to take long breaks and arrive late at work. Lower level workers have followed the same behaviour as the physicians, leading to high absenteeism and low productivity at all levels. Corruption exists in the healthcare sector in Ethiopia, which involves procurement, services and supply of goods and medicines. The lack of medical staff and the corruption that often diverts investments that should be going into building a more robust medical system has a knock on effect on the healthcare system, increasing the probability of unsatisfactory healthcare outcomes.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), in comparison to the rest of the world’s healthcare systems, Ethiopia ranked 180 out of 190 countries. The standard of the healthcare system in Ethiopia is far below the standards generally set in western countries. For visitors and expatriates who prefer to have a sense of security and to ensure that medical costs will be covered in the event of an accident or illness while travelling to Ethiopia, purchasing a comprehensive travel insurance policy or an expat medical insurance plan will be the best solution for you. A global medical insurance policy that covers for medical evacuation to a healthcare facility that can provide the necessary medical care would be recommended.

 

Ethiopia International Health Insurance

Globalsurance is a one-stop insurance brokerage service provider for you when travelling to the Ethiopia. We offer a wide range of policies to meet your individual needs, including benefits such as dental, maternity, inpatient, outpatient, specialist consultations, and many others. We offer a large variety of international health insurance plans as well as travellers insurance plans. Contact our professional advisers today to enjoy full insurance protection such as an Expat Health Insurance Plan for yourself and your family.