In 2004 ECafrique, in conjunction with the Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG) and Ministry of Health launched the study “Mainstreaming Emergency Contraception in the Public Sector.”

Funded by the Concept Foundation, this project introduces EC into the public sector service delivery in the country’s five of the most populated regions: Addis Ababa, Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, and the Southern Peoples Region.  On world health day 2005, the project began providing Ethiopia’s first levonorgestrel-only EC pill, Postinor-2 in 36 public facilities.  The project is expected to last throughout 2006.

This study’s overall goal is to document the demand for public sector EC services and demonstrate the feasibility of integrating EC into the broader contraceptive method mix.  Its primary objectives include:

• Introducing, for the first time in the country’s history, EC into the public sector.
• Registering the dedicated ECP, Postinor 2, with the Ethiopian Drug Administration and Control Authority (DACA) for use in the public and private sectors.
• Developing and implementing EC training components for pre-service medical/nursing/community health students, and in-service training for existing health workers.
• Raising community awareness of EC services available through the private sector.

ECafrique and Population Council publication on EC in Ethiopia:

Emergency Contraception: A Training Curriculum for Mid-Level Health Care Workers. (2004)