About EPMA
Evidence for a healthier Ethiopia.
EPMA — Ethiopia Performance Monitoring for Action — is a partnership of researchers, policymakers, and community health workers turning rigorous data into decisions that improve lives.
Since 2016, our teams have visited thousands of households and health facilities to measure what's working, what isn't, and where the next intervention should focus.
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Key Focus Areas
Family Planning
EPMA collects data on family planning awareness, contraceptive use, intention to use, and postpartum family planning to support informed decision-making and improve services.
Maternal and Newborn Health
EPMA monitors maternal and newborn health through data on antenatal care, delivery, postnatal care, essential newborn practices, and access to maternal care.
Child Health & Immunization
EPMA gathers data on childhood immunization, complementary feeding, and neonatal, infant, and child mortality to provide a comprehensive view of child health and well-being.
Health Facility Surveys
EPMA conducts health facility surveys to assess service availability, readiness, HIS implementation, contraceptive and essential medicine stockouts, and RMNCH indicators.
Adolescent Health
EPMA measures HPV vaccination coverage among girls aged 9–14 and collects key adolescent health indicators through its surveys.
Household & Cohort Surveys
EPMA conducts household surveys and cohort studies to generate reliable RMNCH data and understand healthcare access, utilization, and continuity of care across Ethiopia.
— What we're building
Two primary outcomes
EPMA is a national survey platform designed to address Ethiopia's RMNCH data needs while building sustainable survey research capacity across East Africa.
Outcome 1
A country-owned RMNCH survey research platform
National and regional estimates of key RMNCH, adolescent health, and selected nutrition indicators through three integrated surveys.
Household & women's survey
Surveys households and women aged 9–49, covering family planning, vaccination, child health, and women's autonomy.
Facility survey
Service availability and readiness linked to household data to show how services shape access.
Cohort Study
Following women in five regions to track maternal, newborn, and postpartum care over time.
Outcome 2
A Center of Excellence in Survey Research for East Africa
With Addis Ababa University and its partners, EPMA is building a regional home for survey research excellence.
People
Postdoctoral fellowships, workshops, and continuing education.
Institution
Organizational capacity that attracts talent and diverse funding.
Community
A dynamic, engaged research community across the region.
Our impact
Key Capabilities Driving Reliable Health Data
Innovative Mobile Technology
Uses GPS, timestamps, and QR/barcodes to ensure accurate and verifiable data collection.
Annual & Semi-Annual Reporting
Provides regular health indicators to support timely monitoring and planning.
Standardized Health Indicators
Aligns with DHS measures while tracking quality, access, choice, and empowerment.
Expandable Data Collection Platform
Adapts to evolving data collection needs across health and related sectors.
Local Capacity Strengthening
Builds local capacity through partner institutions and trained resident enumerators.
Reliable Data Quality
Applies standardized methods to produce reliable data for informed decision-making.