The purpose of this project is to assist the Ethiopian Ministry of Health (MOH) to provide increased access to chronic disease care and treatment services, including those for HIV/AIDS, at high quality health centers throughout the country. As part of this overall strategy, this project aims to provide the physical infrastructure to allow for the delivery of an antiretroviral therapy program (funded by USAID in collaboration with the Global Fund) to treat a quarter of a million people by 2009.
Crown Agents USA, Inc. is the prime contractor, providing the management team to oversee the assessment and rehabilitation of the health centers. The project renovated 47 health centers across the country, as well as provided technical assistance to a further 100 health centers in four regions of Ethiopia by conducting engineering assessments in close collaboration with the MOH and Regional Health Bureaus (RHBs).
The primary focus over the two years has been to: a) serve as a coordination and synchronization "hub" with national and bilateral stakeholders on health center renovations to support chronic disease management and to leverage United States Government resources with the Government of Ethiopia and bilateral agency resources; b) provide technical assistance on renovations to the MOH and RHBs including technical design, engineering, procurement and logistics support; and c) provide direct renovation support in selected health centers to support chronic disease management including antiretroviral therapy.
Under a project extension, Crown Agents is supporting 13 short-term technical advisors in the MOH. These personnel provide engineering, management and contracts administration support for the construction of 891 health centers.
Project results to date include the following:
- 100 health centers located in all priority regions and Addis Ababa have had complete engineering assessments and bills of quantities prepared;
- 47 health centers were renovated;
- A health center renovation tracking/mapping spreadsheet based on data from all U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Ethiopia partners involved in strengthening the healthcare facilities infrastructure was developed and vetted;
- The project collaborated with four PEPFAR Ethiopia partners to coordinate more effective and efficient health center renovations and leverage supplemental resources;
- Reduced design and implementation costs while successfully renovating warehouse space at the Moro Health Center. Completed in May 2008, the center provides for 131,175 patients including many people living with HIV who have registered for antiretroviral therapy (ART);
- Coordinated USAID partners MSH/RPM+, USAID|DELIVER II and HCRCP to turn current storage space into clinical examination rooms and a defined area for treating chronic diseases such as HIV and other co-infectious chronic diseases; and
- Use of a modular design allowed renovated health centers to be expanded without compromising the structural integrity of the building.