Ministry Urges Religious Institutions to Revitalize Engagement in Fight against HIV/AIDS

Addis Abeba  September 22/2020 (ENA) Ministry of Health and Federal HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office (HAPCO) have urged religious institutions and faith-based organizations to revitalize their engagement in the prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS in the country.

A high-level meeting on the role of faith-based organizations and religious leaders in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment was held today.

Opening the session, Health Minister Lia Tadesse said the social, psychological and economical impact of impact of HIV/AIDS during the first two decades of its introduction in Ethiopia was high due to discrimination and low awareness in the public.

Due to the concerted efforts of the various stakeholder the ratio of death and infection had declined by 90 percent.

However, with the complacency of the achievement a significant decline in engagement on the part of stakeholders followed, causing recently a surge in the spread of  the virus.

Indicating the immense contribution of stakeholders, particularly religious institutions and leaders in the fight HIV/AIDS, Dr. Lia called on the institutions to revitalize their roles in preventing and controlling the virus.

Federal HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office Director-General, Dr. Tsigereda Kifle said  the office plans to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS by 95 percent by 2025 through promotion, testing, reducing mother-to-child transmission of the virus, and encouraging patients to take  anti-retroviral medicine.

Noting the current 0.88 national prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country, she pointed out that there is a possibility of growth in   the spread of the virus unless given due attention by the public and stakeholders.

Supreme Secretary of Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia, Liqe Tiguhan Qesis Tagay Tadele, said the council will work with stakeholders to enhance awareness regarding prevention, care and treatment of the virus in coordination with religious institutions as in COVID-19.

He added that USAID has extended 500,000 USD to the council to do meaningful activities in preventing and controlling HIV/AIDS in 2020/2021.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Health and Federal HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia to work in partnership on HIV/AIDS prevention.

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Patriarch, Abune Mathias, Islamic Affairs Supreme Council President, Mufti Haji Omar Idris, Labour and Social Affairs Minister Ergogie Tesfaye, other government officials and stakeholders attended the workshop.

Some 669,000 peoples in Ethiopia are currently living with HIV/AIDS, it was learned.