Achieving Excellence in Primary Care

FENOT

Strengthening Primary Health Care Systems Performance in Lower and Middle-income Countries
The Fenot - Achieving Excellence in Primary Health Care project (2015-2023), implemented in collaboration with ABH Partners, is contributing to the development of Ethiopia's primary healthcare system (PHC), building on the achievements of three previous projects, HEPCAPS I and HEPCAPS II, and Resource Tracking and Management, implemented in Ethiopia from 2012-2017. Fenot focuses on two strategic areas that are aligned with strategies of the Health Sector Transformation Plan (HSTP) and collaborates closely with counterparts at the national level Ministry of Health as well as with Regional Health Bureaus in Oromia, Dire Dawa, and Amhara.

Strategic Objective 1

Efficiency, quality and equity of primary health care services improved by using locally available and relevant evidence for planning, monitoring, decision making, policy analysis, and follow-up action within the Ministry of Health and regional health bureaus.

Strategic Objective 2

Strengthening health care financing for improved primary health care systems: generating new revenue from domestic sources; increasing health care resource use efficiency and productivity; and improving financial management and budget utilization in public programs.

The Fenot project activities and goals consider the great strides Ethiopia has made in the implementation of its Primary Health Care (PHC) system. While Ethiopia has achieved dramatic improvements in coverage of key primary care services and development of its health system, challenges remain. These include deficiencies in quality of care, disparities in coverage of key interventions within and between regions and in distribution among population groups, inefficient use of physical, human, and financial resources resulting in sub-optimal outputs and outcomes, and the need for additional (and sustainable) sources of financing. These issues can be addressed through evidence-based planning and policy decisions, together with implementation, testing and evaluation, and scaling up of appropriate interventions and strategies.

The Fenot project is contributing to strengthening Ethiopia's PHC systems through the generation, distribution, and application of relevant and high-quality evidence for decision-making to improve policy and service delivery. Fenot's two strategic areas of focus reflect priorities highlighted in Ethiopia's Health Sector Transformation Plan (HSTP). Fenot’s expert team is contributing to the development of Ethiopia’s new HSTP II and to ongoing efforts to address the COVID-19 crisis.