*
This year's annual national HIV/AIDS prevention and control plan is prepared by coordinating regional and city government health offices and HIV/AIDS prevention and control offices, sector offices and other stakeholders. Director of the Directorate of Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health, Hiwot Solomon, said that this is a consultation forum to help evaluate the performance of the 2014 fiscal year and to help plan the 2015 fiscal year together and accelerate the next steps.
The director said that it is good that the work of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, which was led by different bodies, should be led by one according to the new direction. She said that “we should work to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2030 by achieving the direction set at the international level”.
The director thanked the stakeholders and partner organizations for their continued efforts to achieve this.
PEPFAR Country Representative Dr. Aimee Rurangwa thanked the Ministry of Health for their cooperation in creating favorable working conditions and being a partner. She said that PEPFAR has been able to provide HIV/AIDS testing and counseling services to more than one million people in Ethiopia. Dr. Aimee added that community participation is critical to curbing the virus.
Mr. Baysa Chala, the managing director of NEP+, said that the works done to control the disease in the past 20 years are outstanding. He said that it is still necessary to work to reduce discrimination and isolation. As Mr. Baysa said on the forum, "We must work to implement the plan we have jointly planned".
A discussion was held in the presence of Ato Feqadu Yadeta, Head of the Office of the State Minister of Health. In the discussion, the direction of the national HIV/AIDS program was presented, and it was stated that improving the quality and equitable access to universal health services, as well as improving community participation and ownership, are the main strategic directions of 2015. The 2015 fiscal year HIV/AIDS program starting targets and main activities plan was also presented at the forum.
Representatives of regional and city government health offices and HIV/AIDS prevention and control offices and other stakeholders discussed the proposed plan.