ADDIS ABABA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government has lauded "remarkable progress" in expanding access to healthcare services.

Ethiopian Health Minister Mekdes Daba, addressing a public health-themed forum in Addis Ababa on Saturday, highlighted "significant accomplishments" in the East African country's health sector.

The minister emphasized that the country's nationwide health service coverage has exceeded 95 percent, thanks to sustained efforts to develop a robust health infrastructure.

Addressing the forum, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh also stressed "a great success" in the Ethiopian government's community-based health insurance initiative, which aims to provide equitable access to healthcare services to all across the country.

Tiruneh said that the initiative has achieved significant achievements, benefiting more than 63 million people during the current Ethiopian fiscal year ending on July 7.

According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, the successful rollout of an income-based health insurance payment system is playing a major role in effectively expanding the community-based health insurance fund, with a particular focus on assisting low-income citizens who would otherwise be unable to afford healthcare services. ■