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Ethiopia

Ethiopia Humanitarian Bulletin Issue #16 | 14 – 27 Sept. 2020

Attachments

Highlights

  • Of 1.2 million samples tested as of 27 September, 73,332 were confirmed positive.

  • Some 189,000 people were tested for corona virus through a Community Based Activities and Testing (ComBAT) nationwide campaign that aimed to test 200,000.

Funding Requirements

  • US$1.44 billion Total COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 revised requirements

  • US$1.06 billion Non-COVID-19 requirements

  • US$374.2 million COVID-19 requirements

COVID-19 - Ethiopia updates

1.24 million samples tested, 73,332 confirmed cases, 30,363 recoveries and more than 1,170 deaths The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 73,332 as of 27 September (1.2 million samples tested), of whom 30,363 people have recovered and 1,170 have died. The daily number of confirmed cases in September has decreased compared to August, when the country ran a nation-wide testing campaign. Testing capacities remain limited in various parts of the country. Meanwhile, China’s BGI factory was inaugurated on 13 September, and is designed to produce 6-8 million test kits per year. The production is intended to help alleviate current shortages as well as provide more medical expertise related to COVID-19.

Ethiopia still has the highest caseload in East Africa, and the fourth highest in Africa next to South Africa, Egypt and Morocco. 189,000 tested through enhanced ComBAT campaign Some 189,000 people (94.5 per cent of target) were tested for corona virus during the nationwide Community-Based Activities and Testing (ComBAT) campaign. The two-week campaign was initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to curb the spread of the pandemic through active public participation and was officially launched on 14 August with the aim to test 200,000 people. The campaign also aimed at empowering and engaging all relevant stakeholders and key partners in the community-led response.

Separately, the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) branch within the Emergency Coordination Center (ECC), in collaboration with the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), established a framework to provide critical and timely public health guidance and information on protective measures to the public and partner agencies before and during an emergency.

At federal level, the multi-sector COVID-19 response is coordinated by the Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) led by the Commissioner of the National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) and supported by all sector bureaus and humanitarian partners. Regional Emergency Coordination Centers (ECC) for COVID-19 were also established to coordinate the response at sub-national level.

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