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Assessing the Role of the Private Health Sector in HIV/AIDS Service Delivery in Ethiopia

The private health sector has the potential to help Ethiopia meet its goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care. However, as in many countries, the role of the private health sector in delivering HIV/AIDS services is not well understood. Better information on private provision of HIV/AIDS services – including strengths as well as gaps – will aid the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) in maximizing this sector's contribution to achieving national health objectives. The number of private health facilities in Ethiopia totaled 1,578 in 2003 (FHAPCO 2007), and emerging empirical evidence indicates that the private health sector has contributed to expanding access to reproductive health services in the country (Kidanu 2002, Yeneheh 2003). Yet little is known about the current or potential role of private providers in meeting the growing need for HIV/AIDS services. This study seeks to assess the role of private health facilities and pharmacies in HIV/AIDS service delivery in Ethiopia, and specifically to identify factors that could enable greater involvement of this sector in addressing the HIV epidemic.