PSP Ethiopia: Region wide TB and HIV Advocacy Workshops Organized for Key Stakeholders in Amhara, Ethiopia

The Abt Associates-led and USAID-funded Private Sector Program in Ethiopia (PSP-E) organized TB and HIV advocacy workshops in Amhara Region. The main purpose of the workshops was to build understanding between the public health system and private sector facilities towards strengthening of TB referrals between the public and private sectors. The workshops were organized in five towns, for a total of 366 participants from five different districts. Participants included representatives from Zonal and Woreda (district) Health Offices, Hospitals, Health Centers, TB/HIV focal persons from health offices and private facilities, and owners and medical directors of private facilities supported by PSP-E.

The advocacy workshops in Amhara were aimed at creating awareness and understanding on the progress made in TB and HIV interventions generally and the engagement of PSP-E in TB and HIV interventions through the private health sector in the region. The workshops succeeded in enhancing synergy and dialogue between the public and private health sectors in Amhara.

Since project inception, PSP-E has been working to build the capacity of private health facilities and work place clinics to strengthen the TB and HIV referral network between the private and public health sectors in Addis Ababa, Amhara and Oromiya. PSP-E is now extending its interventions in TB and HIV prevention, care and treatment services to more than 35 private facilities in Amhara. In total, PSP-E is supporting more than 160 private facilities in the capital city, Addis Ababa and Oromiya, and Amhara.