October 29-30, 2023 | Hawassa and Adama, Ethiopia
Kick-off meetings in the two national regional states where the pilot program will be implemented garnered high-level support for the project.
Over 100 key stakeholders participated in kick-off workshops to launch the pilot of a community-based health insurance (CBHI) scheme in Ethiopia. The pilot program will see the introduction of a new flexible contribution system, based on the socioeconomic status of households. This “sliding-scale” CBHI scheme has the potential to encourage vulnerable populations to seek health care.
The workshops took place in the two national regional states where the pilot program will be implemented: Oromia and Sidama. During the meetings, managers and leaders from both regions demonstrated their high-level support for the project.
Participants represented the different levels of the health care system and regional leadership. They included high-level regional political leaders, regional health bureau vices, zonal administrators, mayors, Woreda administrators, and CBHI coordinators.
Representatives from the Ethiopian Health Insurance Service (EHIS) presented the rationale for transforming the existing CBHI scheme into an economic-based approach. They explained piloting strategies, roles, and stakeholders.
With support from the PEP experimental research group, a research team based at Jimma University will collaborate with the EHIS to conduct an impact evaluation of the pilot scheme. The principal investigator, Prof. Zewdie Brihanu, presented how the university team will implement a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to analyze the cost-effectiveness of the new "sliding scale system” in terms of health gains and financial risk sharing.
The Regional Health Bureau Vice Heads for Sidama—Mr. Yohannes Latamo—and Oromia—Mr. Dereje Abdenna—underscored that the evidence to be generated as part of the pilot program has the potential to transform the CBHI system into an equitable, simplified, and financially sustainable scheme.
Mr. Latamo and Mr. Abdenna stated that both regional health bureaus are pleased to be implementing the pilot project with the research integration. They confirmed the bureaus are read to adopt and scale up the outcomes of the pilot project.
During discussions and deliberations that followed the presentations, the workshop participants highlighted how the success of the pilot program is highly dependent on leadership commitment at all levels. They called for strict follow-ups to ensure the smooth implementation of the pilot program.
Immediately following the meetings, participants in the four Sidama and nine Oromia pilot districts began implementing the program.
The meeting in Hawassa (the capital of Sidama) was held on October 29, and the meeting in Adama (within Oromia) took place on October 30. These kick-off workshops were organised by the EHIS, the Sidama and Oromia Regional Health Bureaus, and Jimma University. The pilot project is financially supported by the Fund for Innovation in Development (FID) through Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) and will be implemented until 2026.
