Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Ethiopian authorities to stop harassing health workers striking for better wages.
The nationwide strike, ongoing for weeks, has halted non-emergency services at public hospitals and teaching institutions.
Police confirmed arresting 47 health workers in May for participating in the strike, while a healthcare group reported 148 arrests by early June.
HRW’s deputy Africa director, Laetitia Bader, condemned the government’s use of repressive tactics instead of addressing workers’ livelihood and safety concerns.
She urged the immediate lifting of the suspension of the Ethiopian Health Professionals Association, suspended for supporting the strike.
Health workers have faced threats and intimidation, according to HRW, with many struggling under dire financial conditions.
A surgeon told HRW he earns just \$80 a month, despite being among the highest-paid doctors, unable to afford basic needs.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed acknowledged the legitimacy of health workers’ demands but accused the strike of being “hijacked” by political interests.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country with 130 million people, faces widespread poverty, with a third living below the \$2.15 daily poverty line.
The strike exposes the fragile healthcare system and growing unrest among those fighting to keep it alive amid economic hardship.