RMNCAYH portfolio review · 2010–2025
Health reimagined: 15 years of transforming lives in Ethiopia
Over the last 15 years, Ethiopia has undergone a quiet but powerful health revolution. Between 2010 and 2025, Amref Health Africa implemented 36 major projects to improve the lives of women, children, and youth across seven regions and two chartered cities. The results tell a story of massive growth, resilience, and a fundamental shift in social norms.
The big wins
Maternal health reaches new heights
The most striking success comes from the delivery room. By focusing on community-based health systems and training health workers, Amref-supported areas show a dramatic shift in how mothers experience childbirth.
Skilled birth attendance
▲ +26.6 percentage pointsPostnatal care coverage
▲ +217% relative increaseFamily planning client satisfaction
▲ +44.9 percentage pointsIt's not just about access — it's about quality. Satisfaction with family planning services nearly doubled over the period.
Breaking the cycle
A victory for social norms
Beyond medical clinics, Amref's work tackled deeply rooted social challenges. By engaging religious leaders, traditional elders, and former circumcisers, the projects achieved breakthroughs that once seemed impossible — here, falling numbers are the win.
Ending child marriage
Kewet district
The rate of child marriage plummeted by 30 percentage points.
Stopping FGM/C
Afar region
Female genital mutilation/cutting prevalence fell by two thirds.
Safety from violence
Targeted areas
Gender-based violence dropped sharply — proof that community-led advocacy changes the safety landscape for women and girls.
The resilience factor · 2021–2025
Thriving in times of crisis
The period between 2021 and 2025 was a masterclass in adaptability. Despite COVID-19 and internal conflict — which caused facility-based services like antenatal care to decline — community-based services actually grew.
Contraceptive use through the crisis years
Because Amref invested in home visits and mobile outreach, contraceptive use kept climbing even during these unstable years.
The Community Pivot
When the clinic is hard to reach, the health system must go to the people.
The "secret sauce"
Why it worked
What made these 36 projects so effective? It wasn't just funding; it was the strategy.
Community-first design
Working through local leaders — religious figures, elders, and peer educators — to build the trust that services depend on.
Tech integration
mHealth tools and SMS reminders kept mothers connected to care between visits and across long distances.
The life-course approach
Care designed for everyone from newborns to adolescents, ensuring no one is left behind at any stage.
The road ahead
A blueprint for the next phase
As Ethiopia looks toward its next phase of health transformation, these 15 years serve as a blueprint. The success of these interventions proves that with innovative financing, local ownership, and digital monitoring, universal health coverage is not just a goal — it is a reachable reality.