Addis Ababa,Apr.22(ENA)--The Ministry of Health said it has been training 2,800 special health workers rendering services in child and maternal preventive health care.

Speaking at the opening of a conference under the title: "National Partnership on Scaling up Child Survival Intervention in Ethiopia", Minister of Health Dr. kebede Tadesse said the trainees, all females, were drawn from various Woredas and kebeles across the country.

He said up on completion of the training the health workers would provide primary health care services in their respective localities, especially by focusing on education and prevention activities.

Dr. Kebede said his ministry envisages providing similar training, which was included in the new health extension package, over the coming five to ten years.

He said the new extension package was compatible with the poverty reduction program in the country and aimed to ensure the survival of the future generation.

Chief of Health with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Dr. Pascal Villeneuve said family based care, population oriented outreach services and facility based care were the three areas that need scaling up to achieve the health and nutrition Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The chief commended Ethiopia to have taken the initiative to expand access to health care services through the application of these three services delivery modes.

Dr. Villeneuve said UNICEF was strongly committed to work with the Government to bring the health extension package to fruition.

The chief said problem of mobilization, finance and leadership were among the challenges that need to be addressed.

Representatives of aid agencies and countries who were present at the opening of the conference pledged to provide financial and material assistance to scale up child and maternal health care.

Member of the organizing committee of the conference, Dr. Tesfaye Bulto said the three-day conference was aimed to advance advocacy and action oriented activities for child survival.

It would also come up, among others, with common understanding of child health situation and trends as well as key interventions to achieve the child survival MDGs.