Ethiopia

Although new HIV infections in Ethiopia have fallen by nearly half since 2010, the need for care, support and access to treatment has never been more important, particularly for children and young people.

Our work here focuses on providing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services for young people so that they can take better control of their own health.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Around 670,000 people in Ethiopia are living with HIV.
• Approximately 7% of all Ethiopians living with HIV are children, and 310,000 children are now orphaned due to losing their parents to an AIDS-related illness.
• Knowledge of HIV prevention among young people aged 15 – 24 years is 24.3% in women and 39.1% in men.

Meet one of our partners

ORGANIZATION FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT (OSSHD)

We work with OSSHD to provide the care and support that people living with HIV need, with particular focus on children who have lost their parents to AIDS-related illness, and families affected by HIV.

As well as training pastoral leaders in HIV prevention, care and support, OSSHD has set up four free HIV and AIDS information telephone hotlines, making it easier for people to get advice and help anonymously.

OSSHD have also used innovative methods to reach people with testing and treatment and were an integral part of a five-country programme aimed at improving SRHR for more than one million young people over three years.

OSSHD continues to focus its efforts on young people through its links with the broader regional READY Teens programme.

OUR IMPACT IN ETHIOPIA

In 2019, OSSHD:

• Reached more than 667,000 people with SRH and HIV activities.
• Reached over 35,000 young people with comprehensive sexuality education and/or life skills-based HIV education.
• Supported the development of a national HIV strategy ensuring that the needs of people who inject drugs are included.