Message from the President
on WAD 2004
President of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
H.E. Girma Wolde Giorgis,
Message Delivered on the Occasion of World AIDS Day
December 1, 2004
Dear Fellow Citizens,
This year’s World AIDS Campaign focuses on women, girls
and HIV/AIDS.
During the last two years our attention was drawn to fighting
stigma and discrimination through which we gained remarkable and
encouraging results. However, the vulnerability of women and girls
to the pandemic is still steadily increasing at a very high speed
indicating the need for a concerted national action that focuses
on women and girls in the combat against HIV/AIDS.
Women are a great source of strength to the Ethiopian communities
in the face of HIV/AIDS and in overcoming it. They are the cornerstones
upon which families and communities are built. It is, therefore,
fundamental to bring women’s contribution to the forefront
in the fight against the epidemic. We have to strengthen women’s
resilience and leadership capacities, provide women and girls
with access to information and education, and establish women
friendly health facilities. I specially call upon all members
of our communities to rally towards putting a stop to violence
against women. Violence must not be tolerated.
I entrust every citizen with the responsibility of building a
country with a flourishing economy free of HIV/AIDS and healthy
and strong communities.
With best regards,
Girma Wolde-Giorgis
President of FDRE
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