| Ethiopian Infections Rate Rose By 26 Percent. |
| "The vision which fueled our struggle for freedom… will be needed if we are to bring AIDS under control. This is a war." Former South African President Nelson Mandela, February 2002 |
October 7, 2007
A new report conducted by Ethiopia’s Federal
HIV/AIDS Control Office (FAPCO) reveals that new
HIV infections there have increased 26 percent
compared to data collected at the beginning of this
year.
In the first phase of the study, from November 2006
through January 2007, researchers found that
37,943 Ethiopians were HIV positive, representing
5.4 percent of the total population. The second
phase, which ended in August 2007, showed that
70,470 people (7.3 percent of the population) were
living with HIV.
While FAPCO’s Millennium AIDS Campaign aimed to
test 1.8 million Ethiopians from January through July
of this year, only 982,452 people were tested.
According to Dr. Yibeltal Assefa, health program
officer at HAPCO, 3 million testing kits have been
prepared for the new year.
A new report conducted by Ethiopia’s Federal
HIV/AIDS Control Office (FAPCO) reveals that new
HIV infections there have increased 26 percent
compared to data collected at the beginning of this
year.
In the first phase of the study, from November 2006
through January 2007, researchers found that
37,943 Ethiopians were HIV positive, representing
5.4 percent of the total population. The second
phase, which ended in August 2007, showed that
70,470 people (7.3 percent of the population) were
living with HIV.
While FAPCO’s Millennium AIDS Campaign aimed to
test 1.8 million Ethiopians from January through July
of this year, only 982,452 people were tested.
According to Dr. Yibeltal Assefa, health program
officer at HAPCO, 3 million testing kits have been
prepared for the new year.
| One in 20 people there is HIV positive. |
October 8, 2007
This year’s crop of incoming college students may
have heard plenty about HIV throughout their lives—
but they still might not make prevention a personal
priority, NPR reports.
At a recent meeting at Howard University in
Washington, DC, UNAIDS director Dr. Peter Piot
urged students to become informed about the virus—
and to realize that the global AIDS epidemic is far
from over. He also addressed DC’s high HIV-
infection rate: One in 20 people there is HIV positive.
According to an American College Health
Association study, HIV prevalence among college
students last year was nearly equal to HIV
prevalence in the general population.
This year’s crop of incoming college students may
have heard plenty about HIV throughout their lives—
but they still might not make prevention a personal
priority, NPR reports.
At a recent meeting at Howard University in
Washington, DC, UNAIDS director Dr. Peter Piot
urged students to become informed about the virus—
and to realize that the global AIDS epidemic is far
from over. He also addressed DC’s high HIV-
infection rate: One in 20 people there is HIV positive.
According to an American College Health
Association study, HIV prevalence among college
students last year was nearly equal to HIV
prevalence in the general population.
More NEWS |
| NEWS |
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November 13, 2007
Teodros is an Ethiopian refugee living in Washington DC. When he
had to flee Ethiopia for political reasons, a job offer in the United
Arab Emirates seemed like the perfect way out. But Teodros was
diagnosed as HIV positive, and failed to meet the country's
immigration laws, which require an HIV negative diagnosis in order
to grant a work permit. Now years later and miles away, Teodros
told IRIN/PlusNews how he still struggles to deal with his status.
One of my relatives was locked up along with the former prime
minister of Ethiopia who was also the minister of defence. One thing
led to another, and it was getting ugly. At that point in time, I got a
job in Dubai.
The only thing was Emirates law requires hepatitis and HIV tests. I
said fine, no problem. I called my wife back in Addis and said why
don't you come and bring our son, and let's do this but she was very
reluctant. I couldn't understand why.
I went to get tested without them at Nairobi Hospital, the Mercedes
Benz of hospitals. It's very expensive but it is the best. They told me
they run several tests and didn't give results without counselling so I
had to wait 48 hours.
The doctor who tested me even came back on his day off to give me
the results. I was worried but I felt immune to HIV. He had an
envelope and wanted to read it but I told him to give it to me and
then I saw I was positive.
You know when you kind of run out of air, and everything goes quiet
around you?
I called my friend at the US embassy in Addis to get me back into
Ethiopia from Kenya. Sure enough, he managed to switch my name
on the government watch list.
My heart was pumping as I [went] through customs and immigration.
I didn't want my wife to know I was coming; I wanted to just show up.
We'd gotten in a very big fight when I told her I was positive. I
wanted her to tell me something; anything but she said she didn't
know what I was talking about. Right after that, the authorities
showed up and arrested me. I sold everything and with some of my
friends, we paid off the authorities to give me a little space to run.
It's like being born again. First, you find your marriage was a total
lie. Second your whole life is a lie. You have to start from zero. I
have nothing left.
Not being able to hold your house together, as a man or a woman,
it's humiliating in our culture. I still don't know if my son has it and I
don't have the guts to test him.
Here, I only get paid for 40 hours a week but I work seven days a
week because it keeps me going. If you let your mind be idle and
open, you leave room for other stuff to take over. If I'm told to take a
break, I drink and drink even though I shouldn't. I can't find another
way to deal with it.
*not his real name
Resource
WASHINGTON DC, IRIN) HIV/AIDS (PlusNews)
Teodros is an Ethiopian refugee living in Washington DC. When he
had to flee Ethiopia for political reasons, a job offer in the United
Arab Emirates seemed like the perfect way out. But Teodros was
diagnosed as HIV positive, and failed to meet the country's
immigration laws, which require an HIV negative diagnosis in order
to grant a work permit. Now years later and miles away, Teodros
told IRIN/PlusNews how he still struggles to deal with his status.
One of my relatives was locked up along with the former prime
minister of Ethiopia who was also the minister of defence. One thing
led to another, and it was getting ugly. At that point in time, I got a
job in Dubai.
The only thing was Emirates law requires hepatitis and HIV tests. I
said fine, no problem. I called my wife back in Addis and said why
don't you come and bring our son, and let's do this but she was very
reluctant. I couldn't understand why.
I went to get tested without them at Nairobi Hospital, the Mercedes
Benz of hospitals. It's very expensive but it is the best. They told me
they run several tests and didn't give results without counselling so I
had to wait 48 hours.
The doctor who tested me even came back on his day off to give me
the results. I was worried but I felt immune to HIV. He had an
envelope and wanted to read it but I told him to give it to me and
then I saw I was positive.
You know when you kind of run out of air, and everything goes quiet
around you?
I called my friend at the US embassy in Addis to get me back into
Ethiopia from Kenya. Sure enough, he managed to switch my name
on the government watch list.
My heart was pumping as I [went] through customs and immigration.
I didn't want my wife to know I was coming; I wanted to just show up.
We'd gotten in a very big fight when I told her I was positive. I
wanted her to tell me something; anything but she said she didn't
know what I was talking about. Right after that, the authorities
showed up and arrested me. I sold everything and with some of my
friends, we paid off the authorities to give me a little space to run.
It's like being born again. First, you find your marriage was a total
lie. Second your whole life is a lie. You have to start from zero. I
have nothing left.
Not being able to hold your house together, as a man or a woman,
it's humiliating in our culture. I still don't know if my son has it and I
don't have the guts to test him.
Here, I only get paid for 40 hours a week but I work seven days a
week because it keeps me going. If you let your mind be idle and
open, you leave room for other stuff to take over. If I'm told to take a
break, I drink and drink even though I shouldn't. I can't find another
way to deal with it.
*not his real name
Resource
WASHINGTON DC, IRIN) HIV/AIDS (PlusNews)
More NEWS |
start from zero. I have nothing left" |
| NEWS |
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