Health professionals across Ethiopia staged coordinated pre-strike demonstrations on May 6, 2025, demanding urgent reforms in salary structures, benefits, and working conditions. The demonstrations, marked by placards declaring “Our lives are valuable,” “Now or never,” and “We demand an urgent solution,” are part of a growing movement aimed at securing better treatment for Ethiopia’s frontline health workers.
The Ethiopian Health Professionals Association (EHPA), while supporting the campaign, urged all parties to prioritize national stability. In a statement issued on May 7, the Association declared that “the demands raised by health professionals are fair and long overdue,” adding that these concerns have been formally submitted to government bodies multiple times without resolution.
“The movement must continue in a responsible manner that does not harm the public or destabilize the country,” the EHPA emphasized, calling on federal authorities to take swift action and avoid further disruption.
The protests follow years of unaddressed grievances, now amplified by social media campaigns using hashtags like #HealthWorkersMatter and #PayHealthWorkersFairly. Demonstrators argue that their salaries remain stagnant despite soaring inflation and growing workloads.
One protesting health worker told local media, “This isn’t political—it’s about basic rights. We’ve endured low pay, poor housing, and disrespect for too long.”
The Ethiopian Health Professionals Movement (EHPM) has issued an open letter listing twelve key demands, including salary adjustments in line with East African averages, better overtime pay, housing and transport support, medical insurance, and legal protection from administrative abuse. They have set a deadline of May 11 for a formal government response.
The letter paints a bleak picture of the health sector, citing examples of professionals forced to seek public charity or unable to afford life-saving treatment. “Despite our dedication, we are abandoned. Some of our colleagues die from lack of care. Others plead publicly for help,” the letter states.
With the strike deadline looming, pressure is mounting on the government to act. EHPA warns that failure to respond constructively could push a vital segment of the workforce into full-scale industrial action—one that could severely impact Ethiopia’s fragile health system