Ethiopia and Barbados have established a framework for cooperation on health workforce mobility and ethical bilateral recruitment in the health sector, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Lisa Cummins, and the Minister of Health of Ethiopia, Dr. Mekdes Daba Feyssa, initialled the MOU during a ceremony today at the offices of the Centre for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion in Geneva.

The agreement reflects the shared commitment of Ethiopia and Barbados to strengthening South–South cooperation and advancing mutually beneficial partnerships to address global health workforce challenges.

Guided by the vision and leadership of Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali and Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, the MOU further deepens longstanding ties of friendship and collaboration between the two countries.

The partnership establishes a structured and government-led framework for the ethical mobility and recruitment of health professionals, while promoting transparency, mutual benefit, and protection of health system resilience in both countries.

The agreement supports the managed recruitment of Ethiopian health professionals to Barbados across a range of disciplines, including medical doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and dental professionals.

Following the signing, Senator Cummins stated: “I am pleased that Barbados and Ethiopia have signed this partnership, which will ensure that our health system is able to benefit from the contribution of doctors from Ethiopia. This initiative is concluded in the true spirit of South–South partnership and solidarity and supports Barbados’s continued cooperation with the African continent. 

“By recruiting doctors with specialist expertise from Ethiopia, we are ensuring continued quality healthcare for our people, and I see this as fundamental to our ongoing investments in the training, deployment, and retention of a high-quality health workforce, to meet our evolving health needs.”

Dr. Daba also expressed her thoughts on the benefits of the MOU.

“This MOU between Ethiopia and Barbados demonstrates how countries of the Global South can transform shared challenges into shared opportunities through ethical and mutually beneficial partnerships. The MOU establishes a framework that strengthens health systems, supports skills and knowledge exchange, and advances universal health coverage in both countries. It reflects our shared commitment to solidarity, sustainable development, and stronger health systems for our peoples,” she said.

Recognising the growing global demand for health workers, the MOU underscores the importance of well-managed mobility arrangements as an approach to addressing workforce shortages while mitigating the risks associated with irregular and unregulated migration.

Through strengthened cooperation, skills exchange, and adherence to ethical recruitment principles, the partnership aims to contribute to sustainable health workforce development and progress toward universal health coverage.

Author: Melissa Rollock

Published: May 20, 2025