Population, Health and Environment Ethiopia Consortium

The Population, Health and Environment Ethiopia Consortium (PHEEC) is an Ethiopian non-governmental organization that promotes an integrated development model linking population dynamics, public health and environmental sustainability. It was legally established on 13 August 2008 with 44 founding members, initially under the name Consortium for the Integration of Population, Health and Environment (CIPHE). The idea for the consortium emerged from the 2007 Conference on Integrated Development for East Africa held in Addis Ababa, and its creation was informed by international frameworks such as Principle 8 of the Rio Declaration and the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, which highlighted the pressures that population growth and unsustainable consumption place on ecosystems. PHEEC's guiding philosophy is that vulnerable communities can be effectively supported only when social, economic and environmental constraints are addressed together. Its work is organized around core programs: Environment and Climate Change, which aims to contribute to climate resilience and environmental sustainability; Population and Livelihood, which promotes sustainable development by harmonizing people and their environment; Health, which focuses on family planning, maternal health and reproductive health outcomes; and Governance, Partnership and Communication, which works to integrate gender and other social issues into development programs. The consortium operates in Ethiopia and describes itself as working at national and international levels. Its website reports project statistics covering beneficiaries, number of projects, woreda/zone/region coverage and partners, and it publishes news on topics such as business engagement against child labour, forced labour and human trafficking, IUCN conservation news, and Ethiopian delegations to international conferences. As an NGO rather than a commercial company, PHEEC functions as a membership-based consortium and development platform rather than a profit-seeking enterprise.

The Population, Health and Environment Ethiopia Consortium (PHEEC) was initiated in response to global discussions on sustainable development and the complex connections between human population, health and the environment. Its founding idea emerged from the Conference on Integrated Development for East Africa held in 2007 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The consortium was legally established on 13 August 2008 with 44 members, initially named the Consortium for the Integration of Population, Health and Environment (CIPHE). The establishment of PHEEC drew on international principles and assessments. Principle 8 of the Rio Declaration states that to achieve sustainable development and a higher quality of life for all people, states should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and promote appropriate demographic policies. The Rio Declaration also noted that the growth of world population and production combined with unsustainable consumption patterns places increasingly severe stress on the life-supporting capacities of the planet. The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and other studies indicated that the rate of change in ecosystems was increasing more rapidly and extensively over time, posing threats to fulfilling demands for food, fresh water and energy. PHEEC was established to promote an integrated, holistic development model of population, health and environment in Ethiopia and beyond, with the premise of contributing to sustainable development. Its guiding philosophy holds that to effectively help vulnerable communities, it is important to address social, economic and environmental constraints together. Over time, the name of the consortium evolved to the Population, Health and Environment Ethiopia Consortium. The organization has continued to operate as a membership-based NGO consortium, implementing programs in environment and climate change, population and livelihood, health, and governance, partnership and communication, and publishing news and updates on its website.

• 2022

  PHEEC published news on business engagement against child labour, forced labour and human trafficking, IUCN conservation news, and Ethiopian delegation discussions.

• 2008

  PHEEC legally established on 13 August with 44 members as the Consortium for the Integration of Population, Health and Environment (CIPHE).

• 2007

  Conference on Integrated Development for East Africa held in Addis Ababa, inspiring the idea for PHEEC.

A membership-based Ethiopian NGO consortium promoting integrated PHE approaches to sustainable development.

• Environment & Climate Change program

  Contributes to resilience to climate change and ensures environmental sustainability.

• Population & Livelihood program

  Promotes sustainable development through harmonization of people and their environment.

• Health program

  Contributes to family planning, maternal health and reproductive health outcomes at national and international level.

• Governance, Partnership and Communication program

  Works towards inclusion of gender and other social issues into development programs.

1. 1PHE Ethiopia Consortium | Homephe-ethiopia.org
2. 2PHE Ethiopia Consortium | Overviewphe-ethiopia.org
3. 3Wikidata: Population, Health and Environment Ethiopia Consortiumwikidata.org