ADDIS ABEBA - The Ethiopia Office of the Korea International Cooperation Agency(KOICA) in Addis Ababa has signed an agreement with the Health Bureau of the Oromia regional state for the implementation of the project for Community-Based Family Planning Capacity Building in the Arsi Zone of Oromia Regional State.

The Record of Discussion (R/D) was signed after the KOICA implementation survey tem paid a five day visit(4-8 of August)to those specific project sites that are located in four districts of the Zone, The office said in a statement.

The Agreement was signed at the headquarters of Oromia health bureau yesterday by Kim Tae-Young, Resident Representative of KOICA Ethiopia Office and Shalo Daba, Head of the Oromia health bureau.

The R/D reveals that the project will be jointly implemented through mutual consultation by KOICA and the Health Bureau of the State on behalf of their respective governments.

Accordingly, the overall objectives of the project are to assist selected communities in the Arsi Zone of Oromia Regional Stae and to make a successful model case for Ethiopian family planning.

"To this end, the project will focus on improving mothers and children's Health(MCH)as well as to strengthening sustainable family planning, antenatal and neonatal care with 3.4 million US dollars granted by the government of Republic of Korea through KOICA", the statement reads.

The designated project includes construction of a Training/Community-Based Family Planning(T-CBFP) Center in Hetosa Woreda and a Community Health Education Center(CHEC)in other 3 woredas of the zone, the office said, adding that Korean experts will also be dispatched to share their successful experience and expertise in family planning and public health with local health workers and professionals.

Korea has attained comparative success in controlling its population growth by means of family planning. The natural population growth rate fell from 3.0% in 1960 to 1.01% in 1995. while the total fertility rate dropped from 6.0% to 1.7% in the same period.