ADDIS ABABA, March 15, 2008– Increased uptake of prevention-of-mother-to-child-transmission services (PMTCT) will be one of the federal government’s key priority areas in the fight against HIV and AIDS for the next six months.
The development came at the 10th Regular Session of the National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Council of Ethiopia held at the National Palace on Saturday March 15th 2008.
The new priority areas also include strengthening social mobilization, maintaining the momentum of the Millenium AIDS Campaign, HIV mainstreaming in all institutions and improved financial management and reporting for AIDS funds.
Presenting the bi-annual report of the National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office (HAPCO) the Director General, Dr Betru Tekle, said the new focus areas will build on the achievements of the past year.
“Our major achievement in the last six months which can be cited as a breakthrough is mobilizing the community to undergo HIV counseling and testing and individuals living with HIV to seek antiretroviral treatment,” Dr. Betru Tekle reported to the Council.
Close to 1.5 million people have undergone HIV Counseling and Testing and 24,985 individuals have newly started antiretroviral treatment between the months July 1 – December 30, 2007,” Dr. Betru Tekle reported.
However, according to the report only 22% of the targeted 15,000 pregnant women received PMTCT services; an intervention that still continues to challenge Ethiopia.
It is estimated that every year about 14,000 children are newly infected in Ethiopia and there are close to 68,136 children between the ages of 0 - 14 currently living with HIV, according to the Single Point Estimate, June 2007.
The Federal Health Minister, Dr. Tedros Adhanom, told the Council that various capacity building activities are underway to support the new goals including training and engaging of close to 30,000 health extension workers up to Kebele level.
In his closing remarks FDRE President and National AIDS Council Chairman, H. E. Girma Wolde-Gioirgis, urged regional and community leaders to engage in helping fight HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia.
The session was attended by ministers, members of the House of Representatives, religious leaders, Network of People Living with HIV, prominent individuals, media, regional states representatives and Health Bureaus.
Wz. Selamawit Mamo
Media Liaison Officer
AIDS Resource Center
Tel: +251-11-5503584
Fax: +251-11-5503749
Email: SelamawitM@etharc.org
http://www.etharc.org
For more information concerning Federal HAPCO.
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