|
|
September 20, 2004
ADDIS ABBA (U.S. Embassy)--Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is visiting Ethiopia from September 19 to 21, 2004, to open the World Health Organization 4th Global Tuberculosis-HIV Working Group Meeting; to discuss health issues and bilateral cooperation with Ethiopian officials including Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Minister of Health, Dr. KebedeTadesse, and to visit CDC Ethiopia programs. The CDC Director's visit highlights the commitment of the U.S. government to assist Ethiopia in its fight to stem the tide of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Ethiopia is one of fifteen focus countries worldwide to benefit from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, receiving $43 million (370 million Birr) in new funding in 2004.
While in Ethiopia, Dr. Gerberding will sign a project agreement at Empress Zewditu Memorial Hospital worth US$186,OOO (1.6 million Birr) to extend HIV-AIDS voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services throughout Addis Ababa. A new mobile VCT service will be established as well as four satellite VCT sites: at the Addis Ababa City Bus Authority, the Police Commission, the College of Commerce and the Education Bureau.
Dr. Gerberding will donate laboratory equipments and supplies worth $685,000 (6 million Birr) to the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI). The donation includes a DNA analyzer, autoclaves, incubators, microscopes, elisa readers and computers. These will support the role-out of the national anti-retroviral drug treatment program, which the Ministry of Health, HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office and Drug Administration and Control Authority have forged in partnership with U.S. agencies.
On Tuesday September 21, Dr. Gerberding will also sign a Cooperative Agreement for Blood safety with the Federal Ministry of Health of Ethiopia and World Health Organization. The first award under this agreement, for US$2.5 million (21.5 million Birr) to the Ministry of Health and US$325,000 (2.8 million Birr) to the World Health Organization, will support the national blood "transfusion service and establish eight new blood banks in Ethiopia<.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). DHHS is the US Government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. CDC has an annual budget of US$7 billion and workforce of 9,000 people and 5,000 contractors working in the field of disease prevention and control and health promotion in the United States and around the world.
CDC opened its office inEthiopia in 2001 in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. To date it has invested over US$26 million (240 million Birr) to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS as well as sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis in Ethiopia. Over the last three years CDC has also provided over US$10.2 million (88 million Birr) for Ethiopia's immunization program.