In a significant step toward improving women’s health and rights, Ipas Ethiopia in collaboration with the Canadian Embassy has launched a groundbreaking seven-year project aimed at expanding access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for millions of women and girls in underserved communities.
The initiative, announced on January 14, by Ipas Ethiopia, is titled “Improving Access to Reproductive Health Information and Services to the Communities in Five Regions of Ethiopia.” It will focus on reaching over six million people across the Amhara, Central Ethiopia, Oromia, Tigray, and Benishangul Gumuz regions.
Funded by the Canadian government through Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the CAD14 million (over 1.2 billion birr) project will run from June 2024 to May 2031. The program is part of Canada’s broader ten-year global health and rights initiative, reflecting a deepening partnership with Ethiopia to support gender equality and reproductive health.
At the heart of this effort is a mission to empower women and girls with critical SRH information and services, enabling them to make informed choices about their bodies and futures. The project will also address persistent challenges such as limited access to contraception and safe abortion services, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and harmful traditional practices.
During the launch event, attended by officials from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, the Canadian Embassy, and Ipas Ethiopia, speakers highlighted the importance of tackling the social and systemic barriers that prevent many women and girls from accessing essential health care.
Demeke Desta (MD), country director of Ipas Ethiopia, stressed the project’s focus on reaching marginalized and vulnerable groups—including rural women, migrant girls in industrial parks, survivors of gender-based violence, and people with disabilities.
“With rising concerns around sexual and reproductive health, it is crucial to take a meaningful and decisive action,” Demeke said. “This project not only delivers vital health services but also works to create a safe and supportive environment where women and girls can speak openly about their reproductive health needs.”
Demeke emphasized that collaboration with the Ministry of Health, regional health bureaus, and local civil society organizations (CSOs) is central to the project’s success. This partnership aims to ensure that SRH services are inclusive, stigma-free, and sustainable.
Ethiopia has made notable progress in reproductive health over the past two decades. Beginning with its first Health Sector Development Plan in 1997, the country has expanded family planning programs and strengthened primary healthcare, especially in rural areas. Yet, persistent challenges—including conflict, displacement, and natural disasters like drought—have disproportionately affected women and girls, increasing their vulnerability to violence and limiting access to care.
Ipas Ethiopia has long been at the forefront of addressing these challenges. Over the years, the organization has supported more than 1,400 public health facilities and provided comprehensive contraceptive services to over 11 million women and girls. Notably, more than one million women have accessed safe abortion care through Ipas-supported programs.
This new initiative is not only a continuation of that work but also a critical expansion—bringing life-saving services and information to the communities that need them most.
Canada, Ethiopia Unite
The Canadian government also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting women and girls in underserved communities to address reproductive health challenges in Ethiopia. Speaking at the launch of the initiative, Canadian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Joshua Tabah, emphasized the urgent need for comprehensive reproductive health services across the country.
Tabah highlighted Ethiopia’s 30 percent rate of unintended pregnancies, citing low contraceptive use and a high unmet need for family planning as primary contributors. He identified sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) as the second major driver of unintended pregnancies, underscoring the heightened risks faced by women living in conflict zones, displaced women, factory workers, and women with disabilities.
“Shockingly, over a quarter of Ethiopian women have experienced physical or sexual violence,” Tabah stated. “Women living through war and conflicts, women with disabilities, displaced women, and those working in factories face an increased risk of sexual violence due to insecurity, discrimination, and other vulnerabilities.”
The Ambassador also stressed the dangers of unsafe abortion practices, calling restrictive abortion policies a significant factor exacerbating the crisis. “Restricting access to abortion does not reduce its occurrence; it only increases the rate of unsafe abortions, putting women’s lives at risk,” Tabah warned. “This is not just an issue in Ethiopia—it’s a global challenge.”
Tabah urged greater investment in family planning and contraceptive services to address the root causes of unintended pregnancies. “Reducing access to reproductive health services doesn’t decrease demand.” He says it is critical to expand access to contraception and safe abortion care to protect women’s health and save lives.
The newly launched initiative, a partnership between Ipas Ethiopia, the Canadian government, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, and other stakeholders, aims to directly provide comprehensive abortion care (CAC) and contraceptive care (CC) services to over one million women and girls. It also plans to indirectly benefit more than five million community members.
The initiative also includes extensive capacity-building efforts, with plans to train over 2,000 healthcare workers and engage more than 400,000 community members in SRH education programs.
Delivering the keynote address at the event, Maramawit Asfaw (MD), lead executive officer for Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health at the Ministry of Health, praised Ethiopia’s progress in advancing maternal and child health over recent decades. However, she acknowledged that the country still faces significant health challenges.
“As we continue our three-year development and investment plan, Ethiopia’s maternal mortality rate remains at 267 deaths per 100,000 live births,” Maramawit stated. “We are working tirelessly to lower this figure.”
“Despite our progress, about 30 Ethiopian women die from preventable diseases every day,” Maramawit said. “We must intensify efforts to improve access to quality healthcare and reduce these preventable deaths.”
She also highlighted the under-five mortality rate, which stands at 47 per 1,000 live births. “More than 100,000 Ethiopian children under five die each year from preventable diseases,” she added.
Maramawit emphasized the critical need to educate young people on sexual and reproductive health, stressing that many adolescents in Ethiopia lack even basic knowledge about their health and rights. “Expanding access to health services, providing education, and offering life-skills training for youth is essential to prevent further harm,” she said.
Independent Physicians Associations (Ipas), a US-based international NGO, has been at the forefront of reproductive health advocacy in Ethiopia since 2000. With over 50 years of global experience, Ipas has worked extensively across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to expand access to safe abortion and contraceptive services, while training healthcare providers and advocating for reproductive rights.
In Ethiopia, Ipas has partnered with the Ministry of Health and regional health bureaus to improve service delivery, support over 1,400 public health facilities, and reach millions of women with lifesaving reproductive health services.
