Story Telling from EPHA RH/FP project beneficiaries
Community based Family Planning service changed Obissie’s Life

A story of Obissie Guta from West Shewa zone, Adeaberga district, Ulagora kebele (one of the 151 kebeles where EPHA operates) shows the various positive impacts of Family Planning (FP) service and Health Extension Workers (HEWs) extensive and persistent support.

From 30 years of her life journey, 16 years passed in marriage. Her first marriage ended up with divorce. During that time, she had no clue about Reproductive Health/Family Planning methods. Then she became a mother of two children at her teen, but she lost the firstborn baby.

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She even cannot write and read because of early marriage and shouldering the triple roles of women mainly child bearing and rearing, and managing in-house activities starting from her early stage of life.

During her second marriage, she heard about the use of family planning methods from friends. Then she discussed with her husband and agreed to use one of the methods. So, she started to use Injectable. After some time, she has got detail counselling from Health Extension Workers about all the different contraceptive methods and how to use them, the good parts and the bad.

"After I have got that very interesting and respectful counselling mainly on long acting methods, I tried to examine or compare and contrast Injectable, a method I’M using and the three, five and ten year methods. Finally, I have shifted my mind and selected the three-year method based on my interest". Obissie said.

she had some kind of pain OR discomfort but now she sighed with relief.

“Now I am healthy, no pain and no worries. Now I am safe. I know how to take care of myself and my families as well”. Obissie shared.

From the current marriage she has got two children with a gap of four years. Now she is a mother of three. Both she and her husband have agreed and decided to grownup these children properly.

“We don’t want to repeat our childhood suffering on our children during this time of civilization” Obissie explained.

Family planning to her understanding is about how to manage a healthy and happy life as per one’s life plan and economic status. She further acknowledged the HEWs around her kebele for their advices and far-reaching support in provision of quality and comprehensive (all method mix) FP services.

Dear esteemed colleagues,

A team of experts from AAU, JU, and the Ethiopian Public Health Association has launched a study that aims to document the level of adherence to prescribed public health measures against COVID-19. This survey is part of a global initiative that commits to generating evidence to support government response. The survey doesn't take more than 6 minutes of your precious time. We would appreciate your commitment to participate and contribute to countrywide endeavors to prevent and control COVID-19.

English questionnaire: https://www.icpcovid.com/en/form/ethiopia-covid-19-questionnaire

Amharic questionnaire: https://www.icpcovid.com/am/form/ethiopia-covid-19-questionnaire 

Afaan Oromoo questionnaire: https://www.icpcovid.com/en/form/ethiopia-questionnaire-afaan-oro 

EPHA in Collaboration with Ministry of Health/AACAHB Conduct Community Based Active Case Surveillance and RCCE of COVID-19 Pandemic

The Ethiopian Public Health Association (EPHA) in collaboration with Ministry of Health/Addis Ababa City Administration Health Bureau has conducted Community Based Active Case Surveillance and Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) of COVID-19 pandemic.

The objective of this surveillance is to reduce the spread of COVID-19 pandemic through a house to house search and testing of people with Acute Respiratory Tract Infections.

Besides, it helps to enhance the implementation capacity of the community based team engaged in the active case surveillance of COVID-19 infection through providing technical and administrative supports.

According to Ato Bekele Chaka Acting Research and Publication director, the target population of the surveillance is residents of 30 selected woredas in Addis Ababa which were identified as hotspot areas by AACAHB.

The financial support is from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation managed under Emergency preparedness and response COVID-19 plan of the Federal Ministry of Health.
EPHA is striving to its utmost in areas of community wide operational activities through providing technical, logistics and financial assistance before the pandemic becomes a major challenge to the country’s health system.

Public Health Emergency and Preparedness Technical Working Group (TWG) of EPHA Design a Strategy on prevention of COVID-19 Pandemic 

According to Ato Yusuf Abdu, Acting Director of Members Affairs and Networking Directorate and secretary of TWG, the TWG has developed a strategy.

The strategy consists development of a protocol on how to train Health Extension Workers to assist COVID-19 outbreak prevention.

It also includes house to house active case detection and contact tracing surveillance.

Besides, the TWG is working on a Strategy to implement legal enforcement on stay at home and social distancing.

Development of the role and responsibility of community volunteer’s response and reaching the unreached community who are susceptible for COVID-19 pandemic are also part of the major focuses of the TWG.