Ethiopia Project Opens Five Regional Offices Focusing on HIV Prevention in Children and Maternal Health

Feb 15, 2010

Balloons and Birds

Addis Kassahun, Deputy Director of CPMTCT (IntraHealth)

Left to right: Addis Kassahun, Yayneshet Yohannes and Dr. Gebreab Barnabas

Special Fireworks in Amhara

In late January, the IntraHealth-led Community Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) Project held launch ceremonies in five Ethiopian regions: Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, Addis Ababa, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region. Project Director Patricia McLaughlin or Deputy Project Director, Ato Addis Kassahun, met with governmental officials, regional health officials, and NGO representatives at each ceremony to witness the signing of memorandums of understanding, which officially inaugurated the project in each area.

During the launching period, the regional offices used creative ways of making their event extra special. In Oromia, birds were released, flying with a balloon displaying one of two slogans:  “HIV-free survival by the year 2020” or “Access to PMTCT services by the year 2010”. In Amhara the event was sealed with special fireworks.

The launch ceremonies were aired on TV throughout Ethiopia.

CPMTCT project representatives used the ceremonies as opportunities to hold joint annual planning workshops with key stakeholders and representatives from each region. The results from these workshops will be incorporated into the project’s work plan for 2010. These meetings included high level regional delegates. For example in Tigray, Dr. Gebreab Barnabas (head of the Tigray Regional Health Bureau) and  Ato Yohannes Tewelde (deputy head, Tigray Regional Health Bureau) were in attendance. The workshops were also attended by health center directors, Woreda* Health Office managers, district administrators, Women’s Association representatives, regional partners, and representatives from community service and faith-based organizations.

The USAID-funded Community PMTCT initiative aims to increase the number of women in Ethiopia using maternal and child health and PMTCT services, as well as the number of HIV-positive clients in the community who are monitored and cared for by community health workers. By the end of its five-year mandate, the project will also have established sustainable PMTCT services in 70 new health centers. 

*Woredas are similar to districts.