Addis Ababa — Domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity has witnessed a monumental surge, rising from a mere 4 percent to the current 44 percent, PM Abiy revealed today.

He added that a substantial investment of 70 billion Birr was allocated for medicine procurement and over 60 billion Birr expended on medical equipment as part of concrete efforts to enhance service quality and expand healthcare accessibility.

The inauguration of several state-of-the-art hospitals over the past few months, coupled with additional facilities slated for opening in the coming months, serves as a clear indicators of the historic leap taking place within the health sector, PM Abiy elaborated.

As a prime example of targeted infrastructural development, he cited the construction of the new wing at St. Paul's Hospital, which effectively expanded the institution's capacity by an additional 1,000 beds.

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Deliberate measures are also being enacted to ensure locally manufactured pharmaceuticals rigorously adhere to world-class standards, gaining global acceptance, according to the Prime Minister.

He reaffirmed the government's long-term commitment to constructing premium and advanced hospital complexes that mirror the standards in developed nations within Ethiopia.

Turning to preventative public health, the PM stated that through a well-coordinated malaria reduction campaign, 14 million insecticide-treated bed nets were distributed, and indoor residual spraying programs were completed across 3 million households.

Furthermore, routine immunization programs were successfully rolled out for the first time in 58 woredas that historically lacked access to vaccination services.

The government's overarching interventions to unlock advanced clinical potential and build foundational health infrastructure have yielded highly encouraging and tangible achievements across the country, the premier concluded.