World AIDS Day 2007: US Mission Stresses Awareness, Fighting Prejudice

On November 29, the U.S. Mission to Ethiopia’s Workplace HIV/AIDS and Wellness Program Coordinator and the PEPFAR Ethiopia Coordination Office organized an event to recognize World AIDS Day. The event, aimed at increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education in the workplace, focused on the need for strong leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS.  The PEPFAR Ethiopia team distributed T-shirts and information promoting the World AIDS Day 2007 motto: “Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise.” 

Public Affairs Counselor Michael McClellan opened the World AIDS Day event.  In his remarks, Mr. McClellan emphasized the commitment of the U.S. Mission to Ethiopia to a workplace HIV/AIDS response program. He stressed that the U.S. Mission is committed to providing a supportive workplace for its employees regardless of their HIV status.  “The U.S. Mission strives to create an environment that promotes compassion and understanding and rejects discrimination and fear in the workplace”, he added.

The Mission invited Reverend Ayano Chule, a priest living with HIV, to give testimony about positively living with the virus.  He told his touching personal story of learning his HIV status, coping with family tragedy and, eventually with the help of colleagues, getting treatment and using his own experience to help others.  Recently, he has been working to establish an association of religious leaders living with HIV.  The Reverend emphasized the need to reduce the stigma and associations of promiscuity attached to HIV/AIDS infection, stressing that even he, a priest who had been in a monogamous marriage, contracted the virus.  He said prejudice and ignorance are fueling the spread of a preventable disease (HIV) in Ethiopia.

Finally, Hayat Mohamed, Miss World Ethiopian (2003), spoke about HIV prevention tools including abstinence, faithfulness and correct use of condoms.  In her presentation, she also expressed concern about the stigma and discrimination as major obstacles for HIV/AIDS prevention efforts.  She ended her speech by calling on U.S. Mission employees to join hands to fight HIV in the workplace and in the larger community