The Minister of Health, Dr. Lia Tadesse, at the 75th Annual World Health Summit, under the theme "Peace for Health & Health for Peace" said that a healthy society has a significant role to play in ensuring a secure and lasting peace, and peace is vital for health.

"There can be no health without peace," the Minister stated, highlighting how several health facilities had been destroyed and looted, many displaced and affected during the conflict in northern Ethiopia. She noted that this has hampered access to health care for a large number of people.

It is the first in-person Health Assembly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme of this year’s #WHA75 is 'Peace for Health and Health for Peace'. The assembly will make a series of strategic consultations and discussions on current and future priorities for public health issues of global importance.

A workshop on Primary Health Care Finance, under the theme "Putting people first through investing in PHC", was held focusing on the recently published Lancet Global Health Commission report. The workshop was attended by the Minister of Health, Dr. Lia Tadesse, the heads of regional health bureaus, the Ministry of Health representatives, the Ministry of Finance and partner organizations.  

The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Debre Berhan University, Smile Train and Cape Town University, concluded a three-day World Surgery, Emergency and Intensive Care Management Exhibition in Addis Ababa.
State Minister of Health, Dr. Ayele Teshome, who was present at the closing ceremony of the exhibition, said it was time for the exhibition to focus on international surgery and emergency and intensive care. He said the Ministry of Health is working on a five-year strategic plan to enhance the quality and accessibility of services.

Strengthening our country's health system it is important to work harder to prevent and control domestic and cross-border diseases.

It has been noted that the role of partner organizations in making the Health Extension Program more accessible to the community has been effective and it has also been noted that it has been effective as a national health product. 

A review of the Global Fund Grant implementation process and the ongoing execution of plans was held today at the Ministry of Health.

The review forum was chaired by the State Minister of Health, Dr. Dereje Duguma, and focused on the detailed works done over the past nine months with the financial support of the Global Fund; and assessed the current status of the implementation of the plan.

Discussions were held with officials from all levels of the Ministry of Health, Gavi, UNICEF and the World Health Organization on the availability and coverage of Covid-19 vaccine.

State Minister of Health, Dr. Dereje Duguma, thanked the partners for their dedicated support in providing access to vaccination services over the past several years and said that stakeholders have been instrumental in responding to the prevention and control of the covid pandemic.

The Food Security Index was launched in Ethiopia under the theme "Working in partnership to improve food supply in conflict areas".

State Minister of Health, Dr. Dereje Duguma, pointed out that malnutrition is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. In his opening remarks on the 2021 GHI process, Dr. Dereje noted that the Ethiopian government is implementing various policies and strategies to ensure food security.