The Ethiopian Ministry of Health (MOH) first published a comprehensive quality strategic plan in 2016 as part of a systems approach to quality and safety with the aim to provide ‘a roadmap for addressing key quality challenges and for accelerating the improvement of health care quality nationwide. The ultimate aim is to consistently improve the outcomes of clinical care, patient safety, and patient-centeredness, while increasing access and equity for all segments of the Ethiopian population, by 2020.’7 Aligned to the strategy was a learning plan to up-skill healthcare workers in quality improvement methodology. In 2021, a revised strategic plan has been developed and will be implemented shortly, building on the lessons learnt with a strong emphasis on safety, co-production and integration. Another example of how a country like Ethiopia can have ambitious goals is the 2020/21 - 2024/25 strategic plan for early childhood development.8 The strategy provides a detailed roadmap and framework for the MOH to ensure the effective and integrated implementation of national policy in this area. The 6th annual quality summit, held in May 2020, demonstrated how far the process has developed by bringing stakeholders and experts involved in healthcare in quality and safety management.9 As a next step, the event organisers aim to implement and monitor identified lessons and inputs gained in the summit and prepare for additional summits in the future.9 |