On 15 November 2011, the fourth signing ceremony for the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) in the Japanese Fiscal Year (JFY) 2011 took place at the Japanese Embassy in Addis Ababa. The Dembia Woreda Health Office was invited to the ceremony as the project partner. The amount of funding extended was USD 110,398 (one hundred and ten thousand three hundred and ninety-eight US dollars).

This project is to construct a health post in each of four villages in the Dembia Woreda, North Gondar Zone, Amhara Regional State. It aims to improve access for residents in remote communities to sanitary and hygienic health facilities.

On the occasion of the signing ceremony, H.E. Hiroyuki Kishino, Ambassador of Japan to Ethiopia, expressed his sincere congratulations to the Dembia Woreda Health Office. His Excellency also hoped that the project would contribute significantly to the improvement of the health of mothers, children, and other vulnerable and marginalized people in isolated communities in the Dembia Woreda. He also stressed the importance of the project being directly beneficial to the residents in the respective local communities, which is one of the most important characteristics of GGPs.

Most health posts in the Dembia Woreda are ill-equipped and in a state of disrepair, and therefore it is not easy for residents to receive medical treatment in a sanitary environment. Furthermore, most pregnant women in the Woreda have no choice but to give birth to their babies at home, which exposes the mothers and newborns to the risk of injury and death. Therefore, it is critically important to improve and expand medical facilities so that people have better access to health services in sanitary conditions. 　With this project the rate of mortality of pregnant women and infants is expected to decrease remarkably.

Health extension workers will assist the project aim to extend basic health care services to residents in isolated communities, who do not have easy access to health facilities. In addition, these health posts would not only offer basic medical services, but also provide medicines for treatment of minor symptoms. Over 26,000 residents in the project areas are expected to benefit from improved access to basic health care services, such as family planning, emergency medical care, vaccinations, and education on ways to prevent Malaria and HIV/AIDS and to improve sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition.

Since JFY1997, the Embassy of Japan in Ethiopia has supported around 300 GGPs with various not-for-profit organizations and local governments in Ethiopia in the area of basic human needs, such as education, water supply, agriculture, health, and infrastructure. The Embassy of Japan will continue to support a variety of projects at grassroots level for the economic and social benefit of underprivileged people in rural areas of Ethiopia.