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The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Health, announced the launch of the new USAID Digital Health Activity to continue investments in digital information solutions to further strengthen the country’s health system and improve the quality of services.

USAID Mission Director Sean Jones and Minister of Health Dr. Amir Aman inaugurated the new activity, which builds on U.S.-Ethiopian efforts to create a modernized health information system that ensures the entire sector has the data, analytics, and skills necessary to improve the health and well-being of all Ethiopians.

The five-year USD $63 million USAID Digital Health Activity will train end-users including doctors, nurses, health extension workers, and policy-makers at all levels of the health system to utilize technology more effectively and enable them to better serve patients and families across the country.

USAID will also partner with local universities to introduce courses that develop competencies in health innovations and electronic solutions, and establish career paths that empower young Ethiopians to drive digital solutions across the sector.

The Digital Health Activity will also create opportunities for entrepreneurs and youth-led tech organizations to utilize their expertise in providing support to health centers, according to a statement by the US Embassy.

“In addition to simply expanding digital health systems and strengthening the skills of today’s medical professionals, we are also increasing our focus on developing the leaders of tomorrow to drive health innovations far into the future,” said USAID Mission Director Sean Jones.

USAID’s Digital Health Activity is implemented by JSI and a consortium of partners.

Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed met with Melinda Gates, co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) earlier today.

The Foundation has been supporting Ethiopia improve agricultural productivity and increased coverage of health interventions for several years.

The two discussed furthering enhancing BMGF’s support in the Government’s key priority areas, according to office of the Prime Minister.

Addis Ababa and Washington DC have renewed their sister city agreement. Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa, Engineer Takele Uma and the visiting Mayor of Washington DC, Muriel Bowser signed the agreement in the Ethiopian capital today.

The two countries have agreed to work together in the economic, health, business, technology, innovation, cultural exchange, and green development sectors.

Since 2013, Washington DC has had a sister city agreement and protocol of friendship with Addis Ababa.
Mayor Bowser arrived in Addis Ababa last Saturday at the invitation of Engineer Takele.

On Sunday, she visited the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela in Amhara regional state and the Unity Park in Addis Ababa.

In celebration of Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed’s visit to Washington last year, Mayor Bowser proclaimed July 28, 2018 “Ethiopia Day in DC.”

Home to more than 30,000 Ethiopian immigrants, the Washington, DC metropolitan area has the largest population of Ethiopia-born people in the United States.

 Ethiopia has seized the meeting hosted by the United States on Wednesday to show its firm position of equitable use of the Nile water, said Gedu Andargachew, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Ethiopian delegation, led by Gedu issued a press conference in Washington yesterday following the end of the meeting attended by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and the President of the World Bank Group.

During the meeting on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Ethiopia had reflected its rights on fair usage of the waters of the Nile, said Gedu.

Ethiopia is building the dam not to harm others but to provide power to it 70 million people have no access to electricity and reduce poverty, he said.

Ethiopia attaches great importance to the trilateral technical discussions and is confident that any disagreements would be addressed by the consultations of technical committee, he said.

The meeting was beneficial to clear up confusions and reflect Ethiopia’s constructive position towards Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam once completed, he said.

President Trump also expressed his desire to join ribbon cutting ceremony when the dam is completed, according to the Ethiopian Foreign Minister.

During the meeting held in Washington, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt have reached a consensus to continue the trilateral technical discussions on the dam.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is now more than 68% complete. Works on the two turbines that could begin producing electricity in 2020 is nearing completion.

Ethiopia envisaged finalizing GERD project in 2023.

Ethiopia has joined the International Parliament of Tolerance and Peace (IPTP).

The East African nation today hosted the 4th session of IPTP, which was attended by 40 deputies.

In his opening remark, Speaker of the House of Peoples Representatives (HPR) of Ethiopia, Tagesse Chaffo, said “we should act now to create an ethical society in this new era of globalization and work together for global peace.”

The Speaker further said that Ethiopia is undertaking reform programs that enable to bring peace in the Horn of Africa region.

President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, Ahmed Bin Mohamed Aljarwan for his part congratulated Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed for winning the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.

The convening of the 4th conference in Addis Ababa was intended to support and give recognition to Ethiopia’s continental and global peace building efforts.

Ahmed Bin Mohamed Aljarwan also thanked the government of Ethiopia for its warm welcome to participants of the conference.

About 60 countries have so far joined IPTP.