The day has been celebrated in the victory of Adwa Museum, and we must work together to stop the spread of HIV for the next generation, said State Minister of Health Dr. Dereje Duguma. In his opening speech, he said that the celebration of World AIDS Day under the theme “Take the Rights Path: My Health, My Right!” is a commitment to create favorable conditions for the effective implementation of the goal of achieving an inclusive HIV response that focuses on the needs of all segments of society and ensures that AIDS is not a public health threat by 2030.
Dr. Dereje explained that more than 600,000 people in our country have HIV in their blood; He said that more than 7 thousand people were infected with HIV in a year and more than 10 thousand citizens lost their lives due to AIDS. Therefore, he emphasized the importance of all stakeholders working together as a country to carry out HIV prevention activities that are inclusive and accessible to all segments of the community.
The Chief Executive Officer of HIV Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health, Ato Fikadu Yadeta, said that the contribution of the community was significant in reducing the HIV prevalence from a high level to the current level of 0.87 percent; he stated that the Ministry of Health is constantly designing strategies that take into account the spread of HIV and is implementing HIV prevention and control services that are inclusive of all segments of the community.
The US Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ervin Masinga, in his speech, said that the US President’s HIV Fund, PEPFAR, is providing HIV treatment and psychosocial support; and commended the Federal Ministry of Health and regional health offices for their work in focusing on HIV prevention and treatment.
UNAIDS Country Director Kritayawan Bunton expressed confidence that Ethiopia’s efforts to achieve a level where HIV is not a public health threat by 2030 will be successful.