Shashemene City Achieves Significant Gains in Community Healthcare Coverage Shashemene, Oromia National Regional State – Coordinated efforts by regional and local leadership have significantly bolstered healthcare accessibility in Shashemene city, with the number of households enrolled in community healthcare programs now reaching 72,474. This achievement, based on a tiered payment system, was announced by the Shashemene City Health Office. Ato Sultan Hassan, Head of the Shashemene City Health Office, highlighted the commitment to universal health coverage and meeting the growing demand for community health services. "We are providing quality and equitable services through two government hospitals, 11 primary health service providers, a regional laboratory center, and a blood bank," he stated. A key initiative has been the implementation of prepaid primary healthcare services and the establishment of six digitalized community pharmacies. These pharmacies, now well-stocked with medicines and medical supplies, have effectively addressed previous governance challenges related to drug access. To ensure financial and health sustainability, and to promote mutual support and cost-sharing, all four sub-cities and 12 districts within Shashemene are now managed from a unified, high-level platform. Ato Sultan explained that this streamlined approach has improved access to medical services for beneficiaries of the community-based health care system, ensuring uninterrupted service delivery to all districts. In a move to ensure equitable access, 10,724 households unable to afford payment have been fully subsidized. Ato Sultan credited this success to the collaborative efforts of leadership at all levels, from the regional to the woreda (district) administration. Looking ahead, Ato Sultan Hassan emphasized the office's desire for closer collaboration with the Ethiopian Health insurance Service. He stressed the need for logistical support, a transition from paper-based to digitalized procedures, and continuous awareness-raising training for healthcare professionals.