PEPFAR Supports HIV Surveillance Activities in Ethiopia

Monday, July 27, 2009 (Adama): A national HIV Surveillance Summit opened today in Adama town to develop a five-year HIV surveillance and survey strategic plan and leverage commitments from various stakeholders in the health sector to undertake the activities. The summit will stay open until Wednesday, July 29, 2009.

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is a member of the National HIV Surveillance and Survey Technical Working Group that supports the Federal Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI), the Federal HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office (FHAPCO), and Regional Health Bureaus in conducting various HIV/SIT/TB surveillance and survey activities in Ethiopia. Alongside, FHAPCO and EHNRI; CSA, WHO, UNAIDS and Tulane University are also members of the technical Working group.

Ethiopia is among the sub-Saharan countries highly affected by HIV/AIDS with an estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS and national prevalence of 2.2%.

The data from surveillance and surveys provide crucial information on populations infected with HIV, and who are at risk for HIV infection. These data help to develop HIV/AIDS control and prevention programs in the country.  Ethiopia has made great strides in curbing the HIV epidemic based on evidence-based planning and comprehensive interventions. Currently, the FMOH and EHNRI, in collaboration with major partners, are strengthening the national HIV Surveillance programs by increasing the geographic coverage - mainly in rural sites, improving data and testing quality, providing appropriate standardized training for the staffs at national, regional, sentinel sites as well as in the regional laboratories.

Due to the marked geographic heterogeneity of the HIV epidemic, new surveillance approaches and more focus on the regional level and relevant population groups are highly desired.  There has been no mid/long term national HIV surveillance and surveys strategic plan. The strategic plan is crucial to guide the collective efforts of surveillance stakeholders in generating relevant epidemiologic information to optimally support the design and implementation of HIV control and prevention programs in Ethiopia.

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