“A baby born today in Ethiopia is three times more likely to survive to age 5 than one born in 1990.  This progress isn’t a result of expensive international aid or the recruitment of foreign doctors into Ethiopia. Instead, the country has invested in simple, bare-bone clinics scattered around the country, which are run by minimally-educated community health workers.”

Seth Dixon‘s insight:

This NPR podcast shows how local programs that target rural health can have a massive impact on key demographic and development statistics.  This is great news– infant mortality rates around the world have dropped from 46 deaths/1000 to 35 deaths/1000 in the last 8 years and local programs such as this one have been a major reason why.   

Tags: Ethiopia, Africa, medical, development,

See on www.npr.org