Ethiopian authorities must immediately engage in negotiations with striking health professionals, unconditionally release those detained in relation to the current peaceful strike and finish harassment and bullying against doctors, said Amnesty International today.
“Without resolution in sight, the strike entered its second week, leading to a massive disruption of the provision of essential health services across the country. Southern Africa.
“It’s not time for large and draconian distributions.
On May 22, an online movement of health professionals sent Amnesty International, a list of 121 professionals who were arrested across the country since the strike start on May 12, 2025.
Family members and lawyers interviewed said the prisoners were arrested without being informed of the reasons for their arrest and detention. Police also searched their homes without presenting a search warrant, citing a “search for weapons and explosives”. The people interviewed by Amnesty International reported that only electronic devices had been confiscated during the research operation.
This is not the moment of the large scale and draconian pliers. Authorities must urgently come to the table of negotiations, in order to solve the pending problems and allow the resumption of health services. »»
Tigere Chagutah, regional director of Amnesty International for East and South Africa
Among the persons detained with the employee is Dr. Mahlet Guuesh, a pathologist who was not actively used at the time of the strike. Dr. Mahlet was interviewed in A BBC podcast Where she shared her experience a few days before her detention.
“The holding of at least 20 health professionals at least at the headquarters of the Addis Ababa Police Commission to require adequate and favorable working conditions is shameful and deeply disturbing. Police -based allegations to violence reflect an authoritarian scheme disrupting to use their arbitrary rights.
The three members of the family interviewed by Amnesty International expressed profound concerns for the well-being of their relatives, while the Addis Ababa police committee continues to challenge the judicial orders authorizing visits.
The authorities should take urgent measures to ensure that they allocate the maximum of available resources to critical public services, such as health, in accordance with international human rights obligations
Tigere Chagutah
“The arbitrarily detention of those who hold different opinions from the authorities have become a common practice in Ethiopia and we see it here used against healthy health professionals for better remuneration and conditions.” said Tigere Chagutah.
Amnesty International calls on the Ethiopian government to cease its repression against health workers legally exercising their right to the peaceful assembly and to release all the arbitrarily detained persons for having spoken of their rights. Ethiopian authorities must also end all forms of dissent, in particular by targeting human rights defenders and journalists.
“Authorities should take urgent measures to ensure that they allocate the maximum of available resources to critical public services, such as health, in accordance with the government’s international human rights obligations,” said Tigere Chagutah.
Background
Health care Ethiopia professionals have engaged in negotiations for more than five years concerning an equitable salary, improved working conditions and better institutional support. Despite their critical role in the safeguarding of public health, doctors specializing in Ethiopia only earn 80 USD per Month on average, with general practitioners, nurses and other health professionals earning even less on average.
The main concerns concerning the absence of a functional health insurance system, inadequate compensation for professional risks and significant delays in the reception of salary have been raised several times by health professionals in Ethiopia. These concerns have been aggravated in recent years, due to the sharp drop in health spending for Ethiopia, which has fallen to a record in the last decade of 2.85% of GDP in 2022. This is well below the 15% required by the ABUJA declaration. Public document