In mid-October EPF and the Spanish Family Planning Agency FPFE took a group of 6 assorted Spanish parliamentarians (3 senators, 2 Members of the Catalan parliament and one Member of the European Parliament) to Ethiopia. The group was examining measures being taken in Ethiopia to improve SRHR and to reduce maternal mortality. The delegation visited predominantly rural areas and saw the impact that projects funded by Spanish development assistance are having on the lives of Ethiopians. The projects they visited included ones run by the Ethiopian government, which are receiving programmatic support from the Spanish government, as well as successful pilot projects that are being undertaken by UNFPA.

The conclusions that participants took away from the tour were that efforts in the field being taken by the Ethiopian government to improve its citizens’ sexual and reproductive health are helping to contribute to a gradual decrease in levels of maternal mortality in the country. However, one of the main challenges Ethiopia is facing is the lack of medical personnel, as the population of 85 million people has approximately 2000 doctors. And they also saw that behavioural change is also a vital ingredient for improving Ethiopians’ health. For as well as medical services being made available for citizens it is essential that they become aware of the treatment they can receive, and are ready to seek it if they require it.