Ethiopia Relaunches National Coordination Forum to Accelerate RMNCH Compact and Strengthen Sustainable Health Financing
Addis Ababa, December 11, 2025 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, in collaboration with development partners, has relaunched the Joint Coordination Forum (JCF) to accelerate the implementation of the country’s Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (RMNCH) Compact and reinforce long-term, sustainable health financing.
Opening the revitalized forum today, Health Minister Dr. Mekdes Daba said the renewed platform marks “a new era of cooperation that is transparent, predictable, and grounded in shared responsibility.”
She emphasized that the JCF remains essential for strategic dialogue, shared learning, and effective alignment among all actors in the health sector.
The Minister called on partners to sustain collaboration and financing commitments to ensure long-term progress in RMNCH services and broader health system strengthening. Ethiopia currently requires 140 million USD annually to deliver maternal, child, and adolescent health services. Fundraising efforts under the RMNCH Compact will continue over the next three years.
Dr. Mekdes disclosed that 167.5 million USD has been mobilized from development partners so far. The Government of Ethiopia has matched this support, bringing total financing for RMNCH priorities to approximately 275 million USD.
“Through the Joint Coordination Forum, we commit to ensuring that every dollar leads to real, measurable improvements in communities across Ethiopia,” she affirmed.
The resources will be directed toward medical supplies and equipment, the construction of health facilities, capacity-building programs for health professionals, and related interventions aimed at improving health outcomes.
Speaking on behalf of development partners, Christine Pirenne, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Ethiopia, praised the government’s leadership in restoring the platform at a critical time for the sector.
She noted that coordination requires time, flexibility, and commitment from all partners but remains essential to maximizing the impact of health investments.
Our presence here shows our commitment to work together,” Ambassador Pirenne said, reaffirming continued donor support. “We are united in supporting Ethiopia’s vision for equitable and effective healthcare.”
The revitalized Joint Coordination Forum is expected to play a central role in aligning priorities, strengthening accountability, and ensuring equitable, efficient use of resources for women, adolescents, newborns, and children across the country.