HIV/AIDS Health Service Center Inaugurated in Bishoftu Public Hospital, Oromiya 

November 9, 2007
No. 48/07

CDC-Ethiopia and ICAP inaugurate an ART Clinic fully renovated with PEPFAR Funds 

Bishoftu, Oromiya – After extensive renovations funded by the United States Government, a new Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) clinic is now providing services at the Bishoftu Public Hospital in Bishoftu, Oromiya Region.   Operating in partnership with the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP), the Bishoftu Hospital is one of the 42 Hospitals being supported by ICAP Ethiopia to address the multi-faceted problems of HIV/AIDS in the region.  The activities of the Bishoftu Clinic include the Voluntary Counseling & Testing (VCT), Provider Initiated HIV Counseling and Testing (PIHCT), Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), Care and Treatment of TB/HIV co-infections, Basic Palliative Care Services, ART (Anti Retroviral Therapy) and Infection Prevention and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).

The US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission, Ms. Deborah Malac, inaugurated the new clinic with H.E. Ato Muktar Kedir, Vice President of Oromiyaa National Regional State and chairman of the Oromiya Region HIV/AIDS Prevention & Control Board.  In addition, several other prominent officials participated in the ceremony: Professor Lee Goldman, Executive Vice-President of Health & Medical Sciences at Columbia University and Dean of the Faculties’ of Health Sciences and Medicine; Professor Wafaa El-Sadr, Director of Columbia University’s International Center for HIV Care and Treatment Programs; Country Directors of CDC – Ethiopia and ICAP – Ethiopia; and prominent  dignitaries from the Oromiya Regional Health Bureau, Federal Ministry of Health, Federal HIV AIDS Prevention and Control Office, CDC, USAID, PEPFAR’s implementing Partners, and officials from the Bishoftu Town Municipality.

This ART Clinic was fully renovated by ICAP-Ethiopia with the funds obtained from President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the Center for Disease Control (CDC – Ethiopia).  ICAP-Ethiopia is supporting the hospital to provide comprehensive family focused quality HIV/AIDS services through capacity building (both human resources & infrastructure), system strengthening and service strengthening.

Since PEPFAR began supporting the Bishoftu Hospital in 2005, a number of encouraging results have been demonstrated. The Bishoftu ART Clinic is now providing services to a total of over 3200 patients, of whom 2479 are in the pre-ART stage.  The rest are enrolled in ART programs.  This newly-renovated facility will further strengthen those services and make them more accessible to the residents of Bishoftu and its vicinity, which are estimated to reach 1 million people.  The renovation of the Clinic includes the complete reconstruction of walls and roofs; merging/split of rooms for operational convenience; reconstruction of rooms for toilet, laboratory, TB/HIV, ART, pharmacy, and waiting area; cleaning and landscaping; as well as furnishing with new furniture and medical equipment.      

The Bishoftu ART Clinic renovation was made possible through the cooperation and support of the Ethiopian Government and the Oromia Health Bureau with PEPFAR and HAPCO, as well as with the PEPFAR’s implementing agencies, CDC Ethiopia and ICAP Ethiopia. 

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease – a five-year, $15 billion, multifaceted approach to combating HIV/AIDS around the world through programs to prevent HIV infection, and provide comprehensive care and treatment to those affected and infected by HIV/AIDS.

Ethiopia is one of PEPFAR’s 15 focus countries, which collectively represent 50 percent of HIV infections worldwide. Under the Emergency Plan, Ethiopia received more than $48 million in FY2004, more than $83.7 million in FY 2005, and approximately $123 million in FY2006 to support a comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care program. In FY 2007, the United States Government (USG) has pledged more than 241.8 million to support Ethiopia’s fight against HIV/AIDS.

For more information, please contact:
ICAP Communications Office, Tel. 0115547454
Email: adbanjaw@yahooo.com
CDC Communications Office:
Tel: 0114669566/49
Email: yilmas@et.cdc.gov

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