John Donnelly will be live blogging this week from the Ministerial Leadership Initiative for Global Health's Learning Collaborative Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The forum will take place over the next four days, ending Friday. This is the first post of the series.

MLI works in five countries – Ethiopia, Nepal, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone – and among the forum’s highlights will be presentations from senior officials at all five Health Ministries about how efforts to promote leaders has yielded results.

Part three of the 8-part series In the Driver’s Seat: A Series on Country Ownership of Health Programs. Ethiopian Health Minister Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has worked in his country’s Health Ministry since 1986 and has led it since 2005.

Q: What has frustrated you about the lack of country ownership in the past?

A: The frustration comes from this: If there is no ownership, some partners will come up with activities that are not a priority for a country. And to be engaged in something that is not your priority is not something you like to do.