President Calls for Swift Interventions to Control Reviving HIV, AIDS

Addis Ababa June 13/2019 A swift and practical move is crucial to prevent and control the resurgence of HIV/AIDS, President Sahlework Zewdie said.

She made the remark today at the opening of the 14th National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Council meeting.

The president noted that proactive action needs to be taken to hamper the prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Secretariat Director-General, Dr. Tsigereda Kifle said on her part although the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is 0.9 percent across the nation, the plan is to decrease it to zero by 2030.

She, however, warned that increase in the prevalence of the virus is a possibility unless concrete measures are taken in time and as per the plan.

The plan to achieve 75 percent decrease in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS by 2020 in the country does not appear attainable, according to the director-general.

Nonetheless, death from the disease has declined from 83,000 in 2004 to over 15,000 in 2017, it was pointed out.