Dr. Melkamu Abte

Message

Deputy Director General for Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM)

Ethiopian Public Health Institute

On the Occasion of EPHI’s Centennial Celebration and Fifth Scientific Congress

It is with great pride and deep appreciation that I extend my warmest congratulations to the entire Ethiopian Public Health Institute family on the occasion of our Centennial Celebration and Fifth Scientific Congress.

A Century of Emergency Preparedness and Response

For a century, EPHI has stood ready to protect the Ethiopian people from public health emergencies. From the early days of infectious disease surveillance to the sophisticated Public Health Emergency Management system of today, EPHI has consistently demonstrated its commitment to preparedness, rapid response, and recovery.

The Evolution of PHEM at EPHI

The establishment of the PHEM Directorate in 2009 was a turning point in Ethiopia’s health security architecture. Through the Business Process Reengineering reforms, EPHI was entrusted with the leadership and coordination of public health emergency management—a responsibility we have embraced with dedication and professionalism.

Over the past decade and a half, PHEM at EPHI has:

• Conducted the first national Vulnerability, Risk Assessment, and Mapping (VRAM) exercise, identifying Ethiopia’s most pressing threats and guiding resource allocation
• Developed the nation’s first Public Health Emergency Management Guidelines, establishing a unified, multi-hazard national approach
• Built a skilled workforce through the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP), with graduates embedded across the country
• Responded to major epidemics—including cholera, measles, meningitis, malaria, and COVID-19—with structured, evidence-based interventions
• Established the National Public Health Emergency Operations Center in 2017, strengthening our coordination capacity
• Aligned our systems with the International Health Regulations (2005) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
• Adopted the WHO Standard Toolkit for Assessing Risks (STAR) for precise, context-specific emergency planning

Our Role in Protecting Ethiopia’s Health Security

PHEM at EPHI is responsible for the full cycle of emergency management—prevention, preparedness, detection, response, and recovery. Our work is guided by a One Health approach, recognizing that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected.

Key Achievements:

• National Health Security capacity has shown significant improvement, as measured by JEE and SPAR
• Joint External Evaluations conducted, providing a comprehensive assessment of our capacities
• National Action Plans for Health Security (NAPHS) implemented, with the second NAPHS now underway
• Regional Health Security Assessments initiated, strengthening sub-national preparedness
• National Health Security Bulletin published, keeping stakeholders informed

The Fifth Scientific Congress

To the participants of the Fifth Scientific Congress—I welcome you. The theme of evidence-based public health is particularly relevant to emergency management. Our responses must be guided by science, informed by data, and evaluated through rigorous research. I encourage you to share your knowledge, learn from your colleagues, and contribute to the evidence base that will strengthen Ethiopia’s health security.

My Congratulatory Message

To the PHEM team at EPHI—your dedication, professionalism, and courage in responding to emergencies are an inspiration. Thank you for your service.

To our partners—WHO, US CDC, Africa CDC, and others—your support has been invaluable in building our capacity.

To the Ethiopian people—we are committed to protecting you from public health emergencies. Your safety is our mission.

Looking to the Future

As we celebrate our centennial, we look forward to strengthening our PHEM system:

• Expanding our One Health coordination for zoonotic disease prevention and control
• Enhancing our genomic surveillance capacity for early detection of emerging pathogens
• Strengthening our workforce through continued training and capacity building
• Improving our early warning systems through better data integration and analysis
• Building regional capacity to ensure rapid, locally led responses

Congratulations, EPHI! Happy 100th Anniversary!

Dr. Melkamu Abete

Deputy Director General for Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM)

Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

July 2026