Ethiopia: Ofag Stresses Joint Efforts to Modernize Africa's Health Audit

ADDIS ABABA — The Federal Office of the Auditor General (OFAG) underscored that collective efforts are vital to modernize health sector auditing in Africa, ensure transparency, and strengthen accountability.

The remark was made by Auditor General Meseret Damtie at the opening of a training program organized by the African Organization of English-Speaking Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI-E) yesterday. The program brought together over 30 participants from 12 African countries, including Ethiopia.

AFROSAI-E's main goal is to empower Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) by enhancing their audit performance through shared knowledge, capacity building, and the promotion of international standards. The training is funded by the Global Fund, which allocates resources to strengthen auditing in the health sector across member countries.

According to Meseret, the initiative is crucial in building capacity for systematic and effective inspections, particularly in ensuring proper budget utilization in the health sector. "The training will enhance the skills of trainers to supervise and inspect health performance in line with budget allocations. The follow-up will serve as a basis for future audit reports," she said.

She added that participants will also conduct field visits to hospitals and health centers in Addis Ababa after the training. OFAG has already developed its own operational and financial audit manuals aligned with international standards. Furthermore, Meseret noted that the institution is preparing to integrate artificial intelligence into its systems to strengthen audit efficiency through technology.

While OFAG carries out annual performance evaluations based on quality measurements, Meseret emphasized that AFROSAI-E also conducts parallel assessments to gauge the level of member institutions' operations.

She stressed, however, that modernization cannot be achieved by OFAG alone, and other institutions must also demonstrate readiness by building professional capacity and ensuring proper evaluations.

AFROSAI-E Technical Manager Edmond Echo highlighted that the training will play a vital role in auditing the health services delivered to citizens. He underlined that accountability in the health sector is critical to scaling up efficiency and ensuring fair and equitable healthcare across the continent.

AFROSAI-E, a member-based institution of 26 Supreme Audit Institutions from English-speaking African countries, continues to serve as a platform for knowledge exchange and institutional strengthening.

Read the original article on Ethiopian Herald.