U.S. and Ethiopia- Collective Action to Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress
By U.S. Embassy Ethiopia | 30 December, 2024
By Tseday Alemseged, PEPFAR Country Coordinator
Every year in December, we commemorate World AIDS Day. We honor the millions of individuals worldwide who are impacted by HIV/AIDS. While progress has been made to combat HIV, there are still far too many lives being affected. Our mission is clear: to unite in collective action to sustain and accelerate our program to end HIV as a public health threat.
This mission underscores PEPFAR’s continuous efforts to assist countries in attaining control of the HIV epidemic by promoting fair health services and solutions, strengthening national health systems and capacities, and fostering enduring partnerships.
Over the past 21 years, the United States, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has invested more than $3 billion in the HIV/AIDS response in Ethiopia.
Today, our efforts provide life-saving antiretroviral treatment (ART) for 521,036 men, women, and children which accounts for 98% of the treatment being offered nationally. Among those on treatment, 98% have achieved viral suppression which not only means they get to live healthier lives but also reduce the chance of transmission significantly.
PEPFAR is closely working with the Government of Ethiopia and other key development partners to achieve the common goal of epidemic control by creating a sustainable, lasting health infrastructure g to confront current and future health challenges.
Achieving long term sustainability requires a substantial re-orientation of the way PEPFAR, and the entire HIV/AIDS ecosystem, implements. To sustain the HIV response in the long term we need to push for a sustainability agenda on three fronts: political, programmatic and financial.
The 2001 Abuja Declaration at the Africa Summit on HIV/AIDS showcased the influential role of political leadership in addressing the escalating HIV/AIDS pandemic. This demonstration of unified commitment resulted in the establishment of PEPFAR and the Global Fund, which mobilized significant resources for the pandemic response. The collaborative efforts of countries during this summit exemplified a coordinated and proactive approach to combating any crisis.
PEPFAR’s constant financial and technical assistance has significantly improved disease surveillance, supply chain management, health and laboratory information systems, community capabilities, and data analysis for informed decision-making and program enhancement. As of today, PEPFAR offers technical support to more than 1,250 facilities and community health clinics, in addition to six state-of-the-art regional laboratories.
The Ministry of Health has effectively utilized these PEPFAR-supported public health, clinical, and laboratory platforms to prepare and respond to other emerging outbreaks and pandemics, such as COVID-19. These platforms are playing a crucial role in both maintaining and advancing progress in HIV prevention and treatment.
Yet we find ourselves at a critical juncture in the global response to AIDS, where the decisions we make today will shape the future for years to come. Despite decades of progress, our work is far from complete.
In 2024, Ethiopia saw nearly 7,000 new HIV infections and almost 9,300 deaths from AIDS-related illnesses. PEPFAR remains dedicated to supporting the Ethiopian Government in ensuring that individuals of all ages, genders, and population groups have equal access to life-saving HIV prevention and treatment services.
We need to strengthen the enabling environment for improved health and well-being by addressing critical policy, programmatic, social and structural barriers including stigma, discrimination and inequalities in HIV services access, uptake and continuity, particularly for children, adolescent girls and young women and key populations.
In alignment with the theme for World AIDS Day this year, it is critical that we collectively act through strong country leadership, increased financing, and sustained political engagement. These efforts are crucial to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and beyond.
Source: U.S. Embassy Ethiopia
https://et.usembassy.gov/u-s-and-ethiopia-collective-action-to-sustain-and-accelerate-hiv-progress/
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