The World Health Organization (WHO) Ethiopia congratulates the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) on its 100th anniversary and the convening of the Fifth Public Health Scientific Congress, recognizing a century of outstanding contributions to protecting and improving the health of the Ethiopian people.
Established in 1925 as Ethiopia’s first public health laboratory, EPHI has evolved into the country’s premier national public health institution. Its legal and institutional mandate was further strengthened through Council of Ministers Regulation No. 529/2023, which recognizes EPHI as an autonomous federal government office accountable to the Federal Minister of Health.
Today, EPHI serves as Ethiopia’s national reference laboratory and leads critical work in disease surveillance and outbreak investigation, laboratory diagnostics and quality assurance, public health research, emergency preparedness and response, nutrition and food safety, antimicrobial resistance surveillance, genomic sequencing and public health intelligence.
Throughout its history, EPHI has remained at the forefront of Ethiopia’s response to major public health challenges, including outbreaks of cholera, measles, COVID-19, mpox and other emerging infectious diseases. Working closely with the Federal Ministry of Health, WHO and other partners, the Institute has significantly strengthened Ethiopia’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats.
“Through scientific excellence, innovation and an unwavering commitment to public service, EPHI has become the cornerstone of Ethiopia’s public health architecture—linking surveillance, laboratory science, research, emergency preparedness and response, and evidence-based policy,” said Professor Francis Chisaka Kasolo, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, the African Union and UNECA.
“EPHI’s expertise is increasingly benefiting other African countries through technical cooperation, laboratory services, emergency response and public health leadership—reflecting growing regional and global confidence in Ethiopian expertise,” Professor Kasolo said.
As a longstanding strategic partner, WHO reaffirms its commitment to working closely with EPHI to strengthen health security, laboratory systems, disease surveillance, research, emergency preparedness and progress towards universal health coverage.
WHO Ethiopia extends its heartfelt congratulations to EPHI’s leadership, scientists, researchers, laboratory professionals and staff—past and present—for their exceptional dedication to protecting and promoting the health of the Ethiopian people.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.
