A woman by the name of Cuquloo Jarso Gabaaboo has lost her life during childbirth due to a lack of accessible health services in the Gumi Endello District of East Gujii Zone, according to a credible report received by OLLAA. The report states that Cuquloo Jarso was a resident of Allo Biimaa sub-location of Gumi Enello district, and was a mother of nine children, four boys and five girls. According to OLLAA’s sources, the late Cuquloo Jarso went into labor pains on the eve of October 29. She continued to struggle in pain for two day, as there was no ambulance service available in the area to take her to the nearest hospital, located some 60km away in Nagelle Borana, the largest town in East Guji Zone.
According to the report, conflict and insecurity in the Liban and Gumii Eeldallo districts of East Guji Zone over the last six months has caused health facilities to close down and all health workers to leave their stations of work. For this reason, the nearest hospital to Cuquloo, which is located in the Bulbul sub-location, 30km from Hallo Bimaa, had been vacated by hospital staff and shut down.
The report also indicated that ambulance services and public transport in both districts have been suspended by local government officials for six months due to constant attacks on the road by unknown armed individuals.There is also active fighting going on in both districts between Oromo Liberation Army and Ethiopian National Defence Forces, according to the testimonies received by OLLAA.
Current means of transport available to Gumi Endelo and Liban districts residents ( Photo credit Gumi Sericho Laye)
The Right to Highest Attainable Health Care
General Comment No. 14 of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is an explanatory note on the necessary elements for the fulfillment of the right to the highest attainable standard of health, in interpretation of Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.The comment recognizes the close relation of the right to health with other fundamental human rights. The analysis is divided into five sections, starting with an explanation of key terms and concepts relating to the notion of health and being healthy. This is followed by details of State parties’ obligations, violations, implementation at the national level, and the obligations of non-state actors.
The right to health can be guaranteed by addressing elements of availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality, while ensuring a non-discriminatory and gender-based approach. Ethiopia is a state party to the Covenant and has the obligation to respect, protect and fulfill the right to health of its citizens. Regardless of individual capacities, Ethiopia always has a core obligation to ensure the satisfaction of, at the very least, minimum essential levels of the right to health. That is, aside from the economic situation of Ethiopia, there is an obligation to provide essential primary health care for all their population.
In relation to women and the right to health, the explanatory note notes the need for States to undertake preventive, promotive and remedial action to shield women from the impact of harmful traditional cultural practices and norms that deny them their full reproductive rights and access to health care.