National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Council (NAC) recently held its 14th general assembly in the presence of FDRE President Sahlework Zewdie – is also the Chairperson of NAC. On the occasion, the President underlined the need for intensifying efforts to hamper the prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
She also urged a swift and practical move to prevent and control the resurgence of HIV/AIDS.According to NAC, presently the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is 0.9 percent across the nation, the plan is to decrease it to zero by 2030.
However, the plan to achieve 75 percent decrease in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS by 2020 in the country appeared to have been unattainable so long as there is a possibility of increase in the prevalence of the virus.Nonetheless, death from the disease has declined from 83,000 in 2004 to over 15,000 in 2017.
By the same token, the new study, which was released by the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, revealed that some 16,000 Ethiopians are infected by the deadly virus annually, while the virus caused in excess of 16,000 deaths every year.
Of course, these days the whole world is getting ready to make HIV and ADIS epidemic a thing of the past through living up to its promises of zero new HIV infection. The same is also true for Ethiopia.
Twenty years back, HIV and ADIS had been among the top five deadliest diseases in Ethiopia. The spread of HIV had also reached at alarming rate. Many thousands fellow Ethiopians in all age groups had lost their lives and exposed to various forms of discrimination for contracting this deadly virus.
But ,thanks to the government serious intervention and commitment as well as the world health organization and developed countries financial and technical supports, the spread of HIV and AIDS has shown a dramatic decrease in Ethiopia and the world as a whole.
However, the so far gained achievements of HIV prevention throughout the world need to be replicated in the efforts to ensure the worldwide zero new HIV infection and zero AIDS – related deaths by 2030.
Undoubtedly, Ethiopia will achieve this international set goal as it had successfully realized the millennium health goals in advance. Moreover, a number of international health organizations have been saying that Ethiopia will be one of the countries that will definitely manage to meet such goal taking in to account the country’s past achievements towards HIV prevention.
It is obvious that the spread of HIV and AIDS is high in places, towns and cities that are homes of higher institutions and mega projects as well as industries as there are active economic and social interactions. Particularly, some youths, who join universities and colleges for the first time outside of their homeland, are seen spending their spare time without a sense of responsibility and parental supervision. As they often like to enjoy themselves under the influences of alcoholic beverages and khat, they may not take every necessary care to avoid unsafe sex.
Thus, the nation’s universities and colleges are expected to play their big role in deepening and raising the awareness of the youth towards HIV prevention than ever before.
Nowadays , it is common to see a number of clubs that are busy in organizing day party for teenagers and high school students in big cities like Addis Ababa as most of these segments of the society are below 18 years old cannot enjoy dancing and drinking in night clubs as the law forbid them.
Thus, apart from closing down shops or houses that encourage youth to chew khat or smoke shisha having skipped classes, the law enforcement bodies of such cities must take legal actions against those irresponsible bars and night clubs with a view to giving lessons to others in a permanent manner .
In sum, over the last ten years, Ethiopia has made enormous remarkable achievements towards HIV prevention, treatment and care. Hence, it has to repeat its success stories in the efforts to ensure zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths by 2030 through reinforcing public health sensitization campaigns against resurgence of AIDS
Moreover, every fellow individual needs to play his/her part in realizing this international goal by showing care and love to the people living with HIV and avoiding unsafe sex.
The Ethiopian Herald, June 18/2019
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
