Celebrations in Ethiopia Focus on Universal Access and Human Rights

Ethiopia celebrated World AIDS Day in Hawassa with events highlighting the theme “Universal Access and Human Rights.” The USAID -supported HIV/AIDS Care and Support Program (HCSP) coordinated these events, which included an antiretroviral therapy (ART) panel discussion, an exhibit of HCSP work, a video and a live coffee ceremony demonstrating community dialogue.

Hawassa’s World AIDS Day’s participants included President Ato Girma Woldegiorgis, First Lady Azieb Mesfin, Regional President Ato Shiferaw Shigutie and representatives from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Joint Program on HIV/AIDS.

In President Woldegiorgis’s keynote address, he emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing AIDS and acknowledged the pivotal contribution of Ethiopia’s partners in AIDS work. Other speakers discussed the urgent need for: universal access to treatment, prevention, and care and support; involving health extension workers to focus on community interventions; mobilizing and involving women, men and youth; and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV.

HCSP‘s panel discussion on antiretroviral adherence and PMTCT attracted 141 participants. During the exhibition, HCSP displayed banners, regional HCSP activities, brochures, behavior change communication materials, and posters. HCSP also showed a video on a coffee ceremony demonstrating prevention and care and support activities. Then, a live coffee ceremony by kebele (village)-oriented outreach workers and community mobilizers illustrated community conversation.

Led by Management Sciences for Health (MSH) with partners IntraHealth International and Save the Children US, and funded by the US Agency for International Development, HCSP aims to strengthen Ethiopia’s health care system and increase the availability of diagnostic and treatment services for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

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