Ethiopia has successfully achieved six of the eight MDGs. Even for the other two lagging MDGs (MDG 3 on ensuring gender equality and empowering women, and MDG 5 on improving maternal health), significant progress has been observed. Ethiopia is now strategically planning for the Sustainable Development Goals, laying the foundation for achieving middle income status, strengthening export performance through improved competitiveness and overcoming constraints in the manufacturing sector.
Trends in access to basic health services and health gains have also shown dramatic improvements over the last 10 years. Life expectancy, a key component of the HDI, has increased for both men and women (National HDR Report 2015). About 80% of diseases are attributable to preventable conditions that are related to personal and environmental hygiene, infectious diseases and malnutrition1. It is reported that up to 60% of the current disease burden in Ethiopia is attributable to poor sanitation where 15% of total deaths are from diarrhoea, mainly among the large population of children under five. Based on revised data from the National Water Sanitation and Health Inventory, national potable water supply coverage increased