RTSL: Ethiopia

Resolve to Save Lives’ Addis Ababa office opened in 2023 to strengthen longstanding partnerships to accelerate action against the deadliest health threats in Ethiopia.

Since 2019, Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) has partnered with the Ethiopian Government through the Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute and Regional Health Bureaus to prevent epidemics and reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases by targeting their most significant risk factors: high blood pressure and unhealthy diets.

Blood pressure control

We support the Ethiopia Hypertension Control Initiative (EHCI), to improve hypertension management in primary health care using the WHO HEARTS Technical Package. We collaborated with the government of Ethiopia and partners to develop a standardized protocol for hypertension management which was adopted nationally in 2021, and to update the national pharmaceutical product list to ensure the prioritization of essential, life-saving hypertension medications. We also facilitated the interoperability of the Simple App with Ethiopia’s DHIS2 health information system. The app, first piloted in Ethiopia in 2021, is now headed for nation-wide scale.

Healthier food

To support the government’s efforts to reduce key risk factors for cardiovascular disease, we focus on eliminating artificial trans fat and reducing excess salt, proven strategies for promoting a healthier food environment. In partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA), and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), RTSL supported the drafting of the Unhealthy Diet Control Proclamation, and the development of a Nutrient Profile Model to promote healthier consumer choices. Between 2022 and 2023, RTSL supported salt reduction interventions in 56 health facilities and over 300 schools, working with communities through education campaigns and mass media initiatives in six regions. In 2024, we partnered with EFDA to assess national laboratory capacity for artificial trans fat testing to identify gaps and provide technical support to strengthen enforcement efforts.

Epidemic prevention

Since 2019, RTSL has collaborated with the Ministry of Health, and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), and other national and local entities and partners to strengthen health security capacities and prevent deaths from infectious disease outbreaks in Ethiopia. We provide flexible funding, strategic implementation, and capacity-building support to enhance the country’s capacity to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats.

RTSL supports the Ministry of Health and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) in various initiatives, including National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) development and implementation and Joint External Evaluations (JEE). With RTSL’s support, Ethiopia was among the first countries to implement the 7-1-7 timeliness metric for outbreak response.

In 2024, we launched the Epidemic-Ready Primary Health Care (ERPHC) Project to support primary health care facilities in the country in preventing, detecting, and responding to outbreaks while maintaining essential health services. We also support national and subnational Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programs through strategic systems strengthening and advocating for sustained domestic funding and human resources. In 2023, our efforts contributed to the establishment of Ethiopia’s first dedicated national IPC budget allocation.

Through the Collaborative Surveillance Project launched in October 2023, RTSL, in partnership with EPHI and the Ministry of Health, supported the development of a collaborative surveillance framework, with contributions from over 10 sectors including One Health sectors, to enhance Ethiopia’s decision-making across the public health emergency cycle.