Health sector performance in Ethiopia: a study in regional disparities

The paper is an attempt to review the status of health parameters in the light of demographic attributes of population growth and mortality in Ethiopia. Health infrastructures, health personnel and health services to population ratios have been worked out and compared at regional levels. Twenty-six variables have been used to analyze national and regional situations. Results have been explained in terms of regional development levels, regional disparity, relative disparity and absolute disparity in the case of health services, infrastructures and health personnel to population ratios. In terms of health sector development; Addis Ababa, Amhara and Harari regions have high development (D.I= 0.283-0.74); Dire Dawa, Oromia and Tigray have moderately high development (D.I. = 0.165-0.220); Afar, SNNPR, and Somali regions have a moderately low level of development (D.I. from 0.125 to 0.155); while regions of Gambella and Beneshangul Gumuz reflect a low level of development (D.I. from 0.114 to 0.115) in relation to health facilities and infrastructures. The absolute disparity was extremely high in variables such as Basic Emergency Obstetric Care (BemOC) (1:534) and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care (CemOC) (1:204) and availability of all other health professionals (1: 118.13).Similarly, the relative disparity was very high in cases of the functional health center to population ratio (230.71 %), all other health professionals (133.22%), BEmOC (120.36),CEmOC (116.52% and deaths due to malaria (114.85%). In terms of health sector performance Addis Ababa and Amhara regions present low regional disparities while Gambella and Beneshangul Gumuz regions reflect a very high regional disparity.