Taken from ERi-TV Documentary “Eritrea at 35 – A Nation of Resilience, Pride, and Promise”
Nahla Valji, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Eritrea
Thank you so much. Firstly, let me say happy Independence Day. Thirty-Five Years of independence in this country. And I think what really impresses me the most here is that it is clear how much love and commitment there is amongst the people of Eritrea for this country. It is still a new country, a young country. Thirty-Five years old. The sacrifices that have been made for independence are still incredibly salient and you can feel it in this country. And that translates into a desire for every citizen, for every person to have access to development, equality, dignity that really translates into how development is approached in this country. These principles of self-reliance, of national ownership, of local solutions that we talk about as international development practitioners are incredibly real here in this country. And what I have seen in the last few years since I’ve been here is incredible achievements through those principles of self-reliance and local ownership.
Just to give one example; this is a country with some of the highest child immunization rates in the world at over 95%. And that’s incredibly significant. Just last year alone, increased energy access to over 100,000 households, sustainable energy that can be used for health facilities, for education, in the home to decrease the amount of hours that is being spent on care in the home. The focus on local solutions that may be low-cost, community driven, things like maternity waiting homes or barefoot doctors which has been such an incredible innovation and an initiative in this country; bringing health services closer to the people wherever they are in this country. Those are local solutions that are ensuring development, equality, access are perhaps low-cost, innovative and fit the context here. So, through that we see the achievements that have been made here. We also see a real ownership locally. So, if we look for example reforestation initiatives, we see people out during the holidays planting trees, taking initiative to care for their planet and I think there’s a real effort to ensure that the next generation has a sense of responsibility and care for their planet and for their environment.
The number of dams that we see 800 or 900 dams in this country for water conservation in a cyclical drought prone context is incredibly important. Solar energy initiatives and solar energy irrigation for agriculture. The increase that we’ve seen in agricultural solutions for food systems and food security. The amount of growth of vegetables, fruits, has grown exponentially here in new varieties that really is important for nutrition and health.
And you see this integrated effort across energy, agriculture, water, but you also see it with regards to health and a real understanding, as I think the Minister of Agriculture often says that “food is medicine”. So, this integrated approach to health, to food systems, to agriculture and to ensuring that every family has what they need in order to grow and sustain themselves.
Abdullahi Mohammed Yusuf, UNICEF Representative in Eritrea
Well, thank you very much for having me. Let me start with happy Independency Day for Eritreans whether they are in country or outside the country. Congratulations for the Independence Day.
Well just to answer your question, Eritrea has made a significant progress in social development sectors. If I share with you few examples, where I have observed huge achievements; includes we see more children now learning in schools, staying at schools; we have seen also an improvement of the access and quality of education in Eritrea. That’s one thing I observe it.
The second thing is about we see more children and mothers now accessing basic health services or essential health services and nutrition. I think for a good example or perfect example is about that in data we know that 95% of the children under five years old have been fully vaccinated. That’s phenomenal in the region. Eritrea is on the top of the region when it comes to the achievements around the child immunization. Far, very far from other countries in this.
Thirdly, if you look at also second communities and families accessing clean water in the rural areas particularly solarized water schemes and as well as you know also you know dams and so on; there’s been a very big increase so people have, now more people have access to water clean water and on sanitation and hygiene. Also, if you look at the issue of the traditional harmful practices, I think government has done a commendable work; where we see a lot of progress made in terms of elimination of FGM and also a stopping of early marriage. Seventeen out of the sixty seven subzobas now are FGM free. Having said all these, the result is that I see a very encouraging and they have a very strong diplomatic outcomes for children and the wider society.
Pa Lamin Beyai, UNDP Representative in Eritrea
First of all, this year starting last year and going to 2026 Eritrea has taken the bold attempt to draft its development plan. The plan is at the draft stage and it’s been reviewed. In my view that’s a huge milestone. It came out of a broad consultation from different entities, ministries, and it took time to also consult other people who are supposed to be the beneficiaries of any development that comes up in this country. For me that’s a very interesting milestone achieved by this country.
Mary Stephens, WHO Representative in Eritrea
Firstly, I would like to say heartly congratulations to the government of the state of Eritrea for Thirty-Five years of independence. This is a really big milestone, and I join everyone to celebrate this milestone. In the health sector, there has been significant improvement since independence in Eritrea. For example, life expectancy has improved from 55 years in 2000, now to 68 years in 2025. This is significant. Eritrea’s increase in life expectancy is about 2% over the regional average. The region has increased by about 10 years. Eritrea has increased more than that about 13 years. So, this is really significant progress. It means the country in terms of health is ahead of so many countries on the continent here in Africa. So, this is really significant for us in the health sector. If you look at child survival as well, under five mortality has also decreased significantly; by 78% over two decades. Maternal mortality has also decreased by 60%. So, this is a lot of significant progress in the health sector. There is also significant progress in the disease programs: like HIV AIDS has significantly, significantly reduced the incidents. The issue of malaria as well, the issue of TB there has been progress also around preparing and building capacities for emergencies in case they occur. So overall when you look at it there has been very, very significant progress in the health sector. So, I would like to use this opportunity to actually thank the government for prioritizing health as part of the human capital development. We can see the dividends of that investment in health.
Dr. Pa Lamin Beyai, UNDP Representative in Eritrea
It is the action the government has taken through the National Statistics office to do Eritrean population health survey. This survey will provide not only baseline data that the country needs for planning purposes; but it will also be useful to all of us, not only government, to all of us all development practitioners in terms of monitoring and even later on evaluation of projects. So, these are software issues, not hardware, but they play a key role in the development of any country.
Jyoti Tewari, UNFPA Representative in Eritrea
Thank you so much. ዮሃና ንኹሎም (Yohanna nkulom) Eritreans for the 35th Independence Day. In the last 35 years, Eritrea has made many progress. But in the interest of time, let me focus on the health and well-being of Eritreans, particularly the health and well-being of women and girls in Eritrea. As we speak today, Eritreans are living 18 years more than the life expectancy compared to 1993. That’s five years more than another person who is in another country in sub-Saharan Africa. The chances of women dying while giving birth has reduced by 60%. Spacing between children is improving. As we all know a spacing of twenty-four to thirty-six month between children significantly increases the health of mother, as well as the mental and physical development of the child.
Some of the practices which causes significant harm to women and girls are reducing. In fact, Eritrea is one of the few countries in sub-Saharan Africa now which has been recognized has made significant progress in reducing Female Genital Mutilation.
One must be wondering with all these challenges and in all the countries surrounding in sub-Saharan Africa, how is it possible that Eritrea is making a difference? Let me highlight three quick success factors.
The first one, government of Eritrea has created over the years an extensive and effective network for delivering primary health care to all its people, including to women and girls. The country has mastered the art of mounting a whole of society approach where the government, the unions, the religious institutions, the communities, they come together to tackle a particular issue. We have not seen in many other places that’s happening.
More importantly, the government is using evidence to make investment and design plan, program and implementation, which perhaps producing much more impact than what is expected out of the investment which Eritrea is making.
Simply put, Eritrea has built a resilient primary health care system, to mount multi-sectoral responses in integrated way.
As we speak, the Government of Eritrea is finalizing the Eritrean population health survey. This survey will not only tell us the progress what has happened in last 15 years, but also identify some of the areas which the government may pay more attention to.
We as UNFPA and the UN system are very proud to be part of this journey; and we are happy to add value to the priorities of Eritrea. By addressing the needs of women and girls, the government of Eritrea is creating an environment to harness multiple dividends. The health dividend, the education dividend, the climate dividend, the gender dividend, the economic dividend, the demographic dividend and create a more prosperous and equal society in Eritrea.
Nahla Valji, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Eritrea
The UN is the partner that accompanies Eritrea on its development journey. We are not here to prescribe we are not here with the solutions. We are here to listen, to hear what the priorities of this country are and this country knows best what its needs are, what its priorities are and what solutions fit this local context and our role as the UN is to then accompany on that journey to bring partnerships, technical expertise, resources where relevant; to bring in the experiences of other countries where we can learn from that to bring in other partners. We are a global organization with 193 member states. We can convene. We can bring technical expertise. That’s really our role in accompanying countries on their national development trajectory.
Pa Lamin Beyai, UNDP Representative in Eritrea
There are many but one is the Adi Keyih project; where government had the bold initiative to expand electricity access to the rural community. That’s no small feat. Normally, in other places the focus is on the urban areas and not rural areas, but taking the bold attempt as the government has done to expand electricity access to communities within Adi Keyih area is highly commendable and is impactful. impactful for one or two things. One, it provides the normal energy that we use for everyday use. But more importantly, it supplies businesses, some of them female-owned businesses to thrive with the coming of the electricity. This also provided access to over 100,000, people, 57 villages. We were told by the governor, several over hundred health facilities and we should not forget the university also there. So, these are investments that are transformative.
Mary Stephens, WHO Representative in Eritrea
In terms of development in the health sector for me is the pro progress that we have made in terms of strengthening the health system itself. The government has a holistic approach to ensuring that the health system is strengthened and is able to provide quality health services to the population irrespective of their ability to pay, also irrespective of where they live. So basically, Eritrea has made significant progress in advancing universal health coverage. Services are free to the population, whether you live in Asmara here or you live somewhere in the rocky areas. These services are accessible with different cadres of health workers. The barefoot doctors are there in the communities providing services linking the communities to the health facilities to make sure that the communities receive services. So really advancing that universal health coverage is very, very well done in Eritrea. So, I would like again to commend the government not so many countries have achieved this access universal access to health services. So, this is really very commendable.
Abdullahi Mohammed Yusuf, UNICEF Representative in Eritrea
Just to mention UNICEF is a child rights organization and it has a global mandate to protect the rights of the children and to advance wellbeing of the children. I want to mention that Eritrean government has made a commendable achievement in number of fronts where children can benefit.
For example, if I give you examples where UNICEF has supported government programs for example if you look at the relaunching or reestablishment of barefoot doctors which provides health services outreach to a lot of communities who are not in the mainstream but live far away in the mountains or mobile groups. I think that’s one area we have been supporting both in training and capacity building and reestablishment.
Secondly, if I go back to the child immunization, UNICEF supports is the procurement of vaccine and non-vaccine supplies and in that we support the uptake of vaccine. That’s one really another good area I just want to mention. Also, I want to mention the issue of the for example more recently we supported also installation of oxygen plant in Mendefera hospital. It’s a regional hospital. That oxygen plant is a very, very big one and it can accommodate the needs of one million people living in the Mendefera Zoba, but also as well as neighboring communities.
These are three simple examples, but a majority of the result that UNICEF support. We have also other sectors as I mentioned earlier WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), child protection, social protection and we have been accompanying with the government for the last, I mean maybe 34 years, so that our program and our submit of our office coincides with the independency of Eritrea
Pa Lamin Beyai, UNDP Representative in Eritrea
having energy that is sourced from renewable distributed to a larger community where businesses thrive, university benefits, schools benefit, over hundred of them, health facilities benefit. You can have transformative project but very few like that. That stands out for me, and I commend the government and I hope the proposal to expand to outer villages of this particular grid will succeed, but that is commendable and it stands out. It ticks every box in terms of SDGs: from education, to health, to poverty eradication; you name them. So that stands out for me definitely.
Mary Stephens, WHO Representative in Eritrea
Yes. So, for WHO our main priority is to support the health sector. We are looking at three broad areas. We will continue to support the governments in their efforts to advance this universal health coverage, the health system strengthening, ensuring that the people receive the health services, ensuring that the communities receive services that they require at their own level, improving the health of women, children, adults, and the elderly; everyone across the life course. So, we will stand hand in hand with the government. We continue to support this great effort in advancing universal health coverage making sure that no one is left behind.
Secondly, we will also continue to support the government in ensuring that they continue to strengthen health security capacity so that the country is ready at every point in time to deal with any kind of emergencies. As you saw in COVID, we said “a threat to one is a threat to all”. So, meaning that an emergency can happen from anywhere around the world and every country is at risk. So that capacity to be able to detect and to respond effectively is very, very important and WHO will continue to stand with it to support this effort in advancing health emergency preparedness and response.
We will also continue to stand behind the government in addressing determinants of health. Making sure that the population is leading a healthy life. As you know it requires multi-sectoral approach when you address the determinants of health. working with the health ministry but also every other relevant sector to make sure that the population receive the information they need to encourage healthy habits that promote health and reduce the impact of other determinants of health on the health sector itself.
So finally, ensuring that services are available; whether it is maternal health service, child services, the issues around non-communicable diseases, every other service are provided with high quality delivered with dignity, to the people of Eritrea and ensuring that everyone is accessing this service as the government has envisioned.
Abdullahi Mohammed Yusuf, UNICEF Representative in Eritrea
We are going to continue to support five critical sectors. One of them is education, and the other one health, nutrition, WASH and also child protection. We believe these are areas where we have been successfully supporting the government and we work within the government priorities and different entities in the government that focus on those areas. UNICEF is committed to continue to support you know all programs that are within our mandate but also align with the government priorities. So, as I said health, for example, will continue to support universal health care and also primary health care including child immunization as well as mother and child health programs.
In education will continue to support you know resource mobilization, technical support, particularly getting more girls in schools and so on. We will continue also to support also WASH where we want to see more water schemes which are solarized and also climate resilient. So, UNICEF’s commitment is guaranteed and it’s going to continue. We will be working closely with the government ministries. and as I said earlier will also work within the government priorities.
Pa Lamin Beyai, UNDP Representative in Eritrea
The Date-Palm project has its advantage as well. By the way, Date-Palm project is led by ministry of agriculture in partnership with IFAD, FAO and UNDP. Together we’ve reached many people give them vitro plants; which hopefully would set this country to be net exporter of date palm later. That vision is still alive and what also makes it additionally important is because it links the value chain; not only at the production side, but all the way to the processing side. Last time we had meeting in Mai Nefhi, I think it was in Mai Nefhi, it was clear that some even the packaging was done somewhere within through the value chain. These are small developments which have the potential to create jobs and value add to the product yes everything we have done so far is not perfect, but I’m sure if we collectively work on. By the time we reach 2030 or so, Eritrea will be a net exporter of Date palm. So that that’s also outstanding in terms of impact.
Mary Stephens, WHO Representative in Eritrea
Eritrea has achieved vaccine coverage of over 95% and it has been maintained for so many years. Eritrea is ranking number four across the entire region of Africa in ensuring that this vaccine coverage is maintained at that high level. And this the impact we have seen is that it has reduced childhood mortalities. It has reduced deaths from vaccine preventable diseases. Now in Eritrea we no longer report any outbreak of vaccine preventable diseases, and this is really significant progress.
We are also moving towards elimination of so many things like measles. Eritrea is ripe to push for this elimination and get the certification. So, this is an excellent work that has been done in terms of improving coverage for vaccination to improve child survival.
Regarding the health system itself, we are supporting the laboratory to make sure that Eritra is able to test most of the priority diseases. As you saw during the Covid pandemic, it was difficult at some point to even travel and to even move samples to other reference laboratories. So, building that capacity nationally for the country to be able to test these priority diseases is very important. Recently we have supported to scale up the lab to be able to do genomic sequencing and the Eritrean young scientists are actually doing an excellent work with that capacity. I saw some research that they did with that genomic sequencing capacity. It actually gladdens my heart. They were using the capacity to advance public health in Eritrea. This is really excellent and we will continue to support Eritrea, to build all the necessary capacities so that the country in itself is self-reliant. We don’t have to transport samples for some of these diseases that we are able to test at least the major priority diseases here in country but also why not having a collaborative center for instance for WHO that other countries can ship their samples here is also a very good ambition and I think it’s doable here in in Eritrea.
In terms of the other diseases, Eritrea is also in position for triply elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis. We are almost there to eliminate it, because the data is there and we will continue to support so that Eritrea gets the certification and the name of the country will also be on the global stage.
Jyoti Tewari, UNFPA Representative in Eritrea
As I said before so the things which comes to your mind, you look at how much money is being put into and let me again focus on the health and then the health and wellbeing of women and children. The amount of money you put into a health sector and the amount of benefits you get. If you look and compare to any other country, Eritrea looks significantly better. That’s partly because this idea of multi-sectoral, whole of society approach, where all the elements which are needed to make a difference work together with one ambition, with one mission, with utmost dedication to make a difference. So that’s the whole of the society approach is kind of something for me that stands out in Eritrea
Pa Lamin Beyai, UNDP Representative in Eritrea
The GEF (Global Environment Facility) project in Tsilima and Rora Habab, I think, is impactful to the community because they require community participation in restoration. Which is land restoration first. I was there a month and a half ago in Tsilima and I’ve seen for myself how women were participating to restore hundreds or thousands of hectares of land to be used for productive agriculture. That is no small step. So, this is community based, is community owned, is community led, and the results would benefit the community. So that stands out to me. The fact that there are two, in two different zobas, means it’s not focused on one side and there is potential to spread the spoils, if you like, or the benefit of the project in different parts of the country. I think that is in line with the development posture of this country. The self-reliant, self-reliance and social justice. So those ones stand out. I’m not holding brief for GEF, but even them, the partners, who are working with ministry of land water and environment, and the respective zobas have seen the benefit, the potential benefit of this project and hopefully in very short time we’ll see what the real benefit of how these interventions affect positively communities in Eritrea.
So, because you’ve mentioned communities, I would want to zero in on this particular one because I have seen it. I’ve seen it in action, and I’ve seen how committed the women are in ensuring the project succeeds. So, there is a potential there and it stands out and, in a period where everybody is talking about environmental climate issues, restoring hundreds of thousands of hectares of land is really the way to go.
Mary Stephens, WHO Representative in Eritrea
On this important occasion. I would like to say congratulations once again to the people of Eritrea for these 35 years of independence. As the health sector we will continue to support in terms of health to make sure that no one is left behind. But I also would like to thank the people of Eritrea. Good people; very resilient. I also like the excellent work ethic here in Eritrea. Superb, excellent people, very resilient in everything they are doing. And I would like to say, “I wish you peace and prosperity”. And I look forward to many, many more years of celebration for Erita. God bless Eritrea. God bless the Government of Eritrea. God bless the people of Eritrea.
Jyoti Tewari, UNFPA Representative in Eritrea
We support the priorities of the government particularly looking at the health or well-being of women and girls. I think increasingly Eritrea is paying a bit more attention to the health and well-being of young people, particularly looking at the spacing of birth as I said. Because often time, we think spacing of birth only benefits mothers, but the spacing of birth has significant benefit for the mental and physical development of the child. You need a society. We need a society. Eritrea needs a society, and the government priority is very clear of really well-developed, both mentally and physically, people who can contribute to the economy, to the society and to the development of Eritrea. So, we are more than willing to work with Eritrea, and support the priorities of Eritrea, continue to reduce maternal mortality and improving the spacing of births to create a more prosperous and equal society.
Pa Lamin Beyai, UNDP Representative in Eritrea
First of all, to congratulate Eritrea the government and the people for reaching this milestone. From development perspective, I’ve seen a lot of positives.
First, I’ve seen the ownership of government, the leadership of government, in its own development. Which is which makes helps us as UN because first it makes us relevant. The fact that government is ready to lead, government is ready to engage, government is ready to prioritize, and show us the way in terms of partnership is something commendable, and in difficult times economically, globally, Eritrea is doing its best in terms of development. So, I would say congratulations. I want them to continue and in not so long time we will be able to see the benefits, but from the time I have been here I really seen these positive steps by the government and is good for us because it makes us very relevant.
Just a little bit. Eritrea, although we didn’t talk about it, the resilience of Eritrean people is really commendable. Although is getting a little bit dated, but you know we’ve brought in the goodwill ambassador Binyam to be the face of our campaign for climate. We want to bring Eritrean face to read that campaign and that process. Just yesterday, I was in touch with our regional director to allow us to use this opportunity, by working with other countries within the Horn of Africa, to use Eritrean face to lead our campaign, especially dealing with youth and climate.
This is soft, but very important; it is an achievement nobody can counter. What’s left is the other option is leave that achievement to waste it. No, that’s option one. Option two is do something about it. What do you do something? Use that face to Eritrea’s advantage and to the advantage of the rest of the countries in Africa. So that’s a bold step. We’ve had goodwill ambassadors. But as far as I can remember this is the first for this country. It’s a deliberate attempt to use a talent to be the face of this country in partnership with UNDP and also to support interventions outside Eritrea, in Africa. Through that is going to be a win-win situation. Eritrea wins first; development partners win. Other partners win, and Africa wins. So, I would say happy 35th Independence to the government and people of Eritrea and wish them very well in this year, and many years to come.
Jyoti Tewari, UNFPA Representative in Eritrea
Keep on the resilience and the dedication and commitment to create a country which stands out as one of the best countries in the Horn of Africa.
Abdullahi Mohammed Yusuf, UNICEF Representative in Eritrea
I would like to share three messages. My first message is about Eritreans are resilient people. They are peace-loving people, and I think you know they are quite hospitable. So, I would encourage the Eritrean people to maintain that; that’s a distinction from the other parts of the region.
The second thing which I would like to mention is about the environmental sustainability. I see a lot of reforestations in Eritrea. That’s a very good thing. In other countries in the region, deforestation is going on. Charcoal burning is going on. But Eritrean people and government have to maybe continue to maintain that.
Finally, I would like to encourage communities and families to continue to eradicate harmful, you know traditional harmful practices. we don’t want to see that the young girl’s body is cut, which is not necessary, but it’s only done for traditional reasons.
Nahla Valji, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Eritrea
Let me just say again congratulations. Happy Independence Day. Thirty-five years, this country has achieved so much, and I know that in the next years it’s going to be, there’s going to be extraordinary gains, extraordinary successes.
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