Ethiopia: U.S. Earmarks $ 250 Million for HIV/Aids Fight
By, The Daily Monitor (Addis Ababa), November 7, 2006
The United States government will donate a sum of 250 million USD (nearly 2 billion ETB) to help combat HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, its Charge d'Affairs announced on Monday.
The announcement was made at the opening of a two-day national symposium that discussed successes and challenges so far in use and management of Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) in Ethiopia.
"This year we will give another $ 250-around 2 billion Birr- million for the ongoing efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, country challenged by the epidemic," Ambassador Vikki Huddleston the US Charge d'Affaires said adding that it was only together, that we can challenge this problem." Only together, we can challenge this problem," The Ambassador said the country was one of the 15 beneficiary countries in the world, which is receiving "huge" amount of money from The US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the PEPAR" She indicated that during the past three years Ethiopia received $ 250 million from the fund earmarked for the preventive works of HIV/AIDS.
The ambassador also reassured the US government's continued support to Ethiopia in the nation wide fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS in the future.
Ethiopia, the second largest populous country in the Sub-Sahara (with an estimated 75 million people) has since the past two years, been on the beneficiaries' list of the US fund-a five-year, $15 billion initiative to "turn the tide" in combating the global HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Dr.Tedros Adhanom, Minster of Health on his part said of ART's contribution in mitigating effects of the pandemic in the country and the ongoing efforts to reach the needy.
"ART has played a big role on the ongoing efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in our country. One year ago, when we start to give free ART, the number of people who were getting the treatment was only 900 while another 11,000 got the treatment with payment. Now we are able to increase the number to 55,900.But that is far from enough, and we have to do more to reach those in need of the treatment," the minister said.
According to Tewodros, the number of people who are in need of ART in the country is estimated to be about 270,000 and there is a plan to give the treatment to 100,000 people till the end of 2006.
Currently, the ART is being given in 189 health facilities and 77 health centers throughout the country.
Around 43,000 out of the 270,000 people who are in need of ART are said to be children.
Dr. Tewodros said there is a plan to deliver the treatment to 263, 000 people by 2008.
The national symposium was organized by Walta Information Center (WIC), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Johns Hopkins University.
Representatives of federal and regional government as well as NGOs working on the fight against HIV/AIDS are attending the two-day conference which will wind up today. Around 1.3 million people are estimated to live with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia.
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200611070964.html
The United States government will donate a sum of 250 million USD (nearly 2 billion ETB) to help combat HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, its Charge d'Affairs announced on Monday.
The announcement was made at the opening of a two-day national symposium that discussed successes and challenges so far in use and management of Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) in Ethiopia.
"This year we will give another $ 250-around 2 billion Birr- million for the ongoing efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, country challenged by the epidemic," Ambassador Vikki Huddleston the US Charge d'Affaires said adding that it was only together, that we can challenge this problem." Only together, we can challenge this problem," The Ambassador said the country was one of the 15 beneficiary countries in the world, which is receiving "huge" amount of money from The US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the PEPAR" She indicated that during the past three years Ethiopia received $ 250 million from the fund earmarked for the preventive works of HIV/AIDS.
The ambassador also reassured the US government's continued support to Ethiopia in the nation wide fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS in the future.
Ethiopia, the second largest populous country in the Sub-Sahara (with an estimated 75 million people) has since the past two years, been on the beneficiaries' list of the US fund-a five-year, $15 billion initiative to "turn the tide" in combating the global HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Dr.Tedros Adhanom, Minster of Health on his part said of ART's contribution in mitigating effects of the pandemic in the country and the ongoing efforts to reach the needy.
"ART has played a big role on the ongoing efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in our country. One year ago, when we start to give free ART, the number of people who were getting the treatment was only 900 while another 11,000 got the treatment with payment. Now we are able to increase the number to 55,900.But that is far from enough, and we have to do more to reach those in need of the treatment," the minister said.
According to Tewodros, the number of people who are in need of ART in the country is estimated to be about 270,000 and there is a plan to give the treatment to 100,000 people till the end of 2006.
Currently, the ART is being given in 189 health facilities and 77 health centers throughout the country.
Around 43,000 out of the 270,000 people who are in need of ART are said to be children.
Dr. Tewodros said there is a plan to deliver the treatment to 263, 000 people by 2008.
The national symposium was organized by Walta Information Center (WIC), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Johns Hopkins University.
Representatives of federal and regional government as well as NGOs working on the fight against HIV/AIDS are attending the two-day conference which will wind up today. Around 1.3 million people are estimated to live with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia.
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200611070964.html
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 9:38 am
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