While delivering an opening speech, his Excellency Dr Kesetebirhan Admassu Minister of Health and Chief Patron for the EPHA House Construction well appreciated the achievements made by EPHA in the health sector development of the nation for the last 25 years.
Dr Kesetebirhan disclosed that the FMoH will further build its existing strong partnership with EPHA to improve the health and well being of the people of Ethiopia by generating and implementing evidence-based health policies, strategies, programs and plans.
While talking about the country's health sector development over the past decades, he said 'in September last year, a joint UN and World Bank estimate has shown that Ethiopia has achieved MDG four, three years ahead of schedule. In the same period, the Global report on AIDS has also shown that new HIV infections has declined by more than 90% and vertical transmission of HIV from mothers to children has also decreased by more than 50%. Over the past 10 years, we never had a generalized malaria epidemic and progress made in controlling tuberculosis is also very encouraging. So we would say Ethiopia is well on track to achieve MDG six as well. One of our difficulties is reducing maternal mortality. We have made good progress but not enough to achieve MDG targets. We need to accelerate our efforts'
Subsequent to the official opening of the conference, Dr Kesetebirhan handed over EPHA awards for outstanding public health professionals in different research categories. Accordingly, Professor Melkie Edris from the University of Gondar for his long years of service in PH, Dr. Almaz Abebe for Senior Public Health Research Award, Ato Eshetu Girma Kidane from Jimma University for Young PH Research Award, and Institutional Awards were given to 7 institutions namely FMOH, CDC, AAU, CPHA, David Lucile Packard Foundation, WHO, and CCRDA.
In connection with the Silver Jubilee Anniversary of EPHA, Special Awards of outstanding contributions were presented to 3 expatriates, 7 past and present EPHA Presidents, 6 Executive Board members, 8 Editors-in-chief and 43 Editorial Board members of EJHD.
Before the main event took place, a-one-day preconference workshop was held at the Dreamliner Hotel in the presence of chapter representatives and where deliberated over the draft Chapter and Members Registration Guideline and annual performance reports of each chapter