Ethiopia
The first case of HIV in Ethiopia was reported in 1984. Since then, HIV/AIDS has become a major public health concern in the country, leading the Government of Ethiopia to declare a public health emergency in 2002. In 2007, the estimated adult HIV/AIDS prevalence in Ethiopia was 2.1 percent. Although the epidemic is currently stable, HIV/AIDS remains a major development challenge for Ethiopia. Poverty, food shortages, and other socio-economic factors amplify the impact of the epidemic. According to the most recent data from the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, approximately 980,000 Ethiopians were living with HIV/AIDS in 2007, and 67,000 individuals have died as a result of infection with the virus. National projections estimate approximately 1.1 million Ethiopians are living with HIV, and prevalence increased slightly to 2.3 percent by 2009.
Ethiopia faces many challenges in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic: food insecurity, limited capacity of the health system, difficulty accessing most-at-risk populations (MARPs), limited data on other potentially high-risk and vulnerable populations, gaps in surveillance and research activities, low uptake of antenatal care and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), low tuberculosis case detection rates, and the dynamics of working with partners. In response, the U.S. Government (USG) initiated a number of activities through PEPFAR interventions for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care. The USG/PEPFAR program focuses on working with the Government of Ethiopia on prevention of sexually transmitted HIV in MARPs and in urban areas; gender issues such as early marriage; antenatal services; and PMTCT.
View the full USAID
HIV/AIDS Health Profile for Ethiopia - September 2010 [PDF,
136KB].
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