In Ethiopia, this is usually the result of an excessive maternal work burden and lack of mother's time to take care of the child and herself. The health infrastructure is very weak. This means that the majority of the population has no access to modern health services of any kind. Implementation of current health policies and PHC strategies and programmes is still inadequate despite its initiation some fifteen years ago. The formulation of new health and drug policies is underway.
Decentralization is the most important positive factor in recent government policy.
Regions are given the power to design and implement their own economic and social development programmes, including health. Policies and guidelines are being shaped to facilitate proper implementation of the decentralization process. The nutrition situation in Ethiopia has deteriorated during the last 25 years. The number of cretins was projected to be 37,000. The nutritional situation of Ethiopian children worsened during the last decade.