19th September, 2011
Supporting people with HIV/AIDS in Addis Ababa
Addis Ketema, a sub-city in Addis Ababa, pulsates with life. Hosting a population of 255,000, this is the most populous, and poorest, of the Ethiopian capital’s 10 sub-cities.
Unemployment is estimated at 40 per cent, and with the large numbers of immigrant workers and commercial sex workers, HIV infection rates are high. The health situation is worsened by poor sanitation, overcrowding and waterborne diseases.
Through its Prevention, Care and Support Project, AMREF seeks to reduce HIV transmission among vulnerable communities in this part of the city. Mobile Counselling and Testing centres have been set up in the busy market, where an average 80 people are tested every day. Outreach peer educators have been trained to encourage traders and customers in the market to be tested, and those who are found to have HIV are directed to health facilities.
To provide care and support to people living with HIV and AIDS, 207 home-based care givers have been trained.
Previously, there were a lot of bedridden patients, many of whom were not receiving any treatment before the programme. Now, however, through AMREF's project, nearly all those who need anti-retroviral treatment are receiving it.
AMREF trains health workers from government, non-governmental and private facilities on Counselling and Testing, co-infection of HIV and TB, palliative care and nutrition, and how to make services more accessible to community members.
The programme pays particular attention to young people, as they are particularly vulnerable to infection of HIV and sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs). As a result of the programme, awareness of issues surrounding sexuality is high among young people. Many have been tested for HIV and STIs. A key component of the project is the training of commercial sex workers in alternative business activities.
AMREF’s Prevention, Care and Support Project in Addis Ababa has so far:
- Tested 14,962 people for HIV
- Trained 825 youth and MARP peer educators
- Provided training to 207 community-based care volunteers on palliative care, reaching 1,639 people living with HIV
- Provided outreach education services to 6,560 high-risk people, such as commercial sex workers and their clients
- Trained 95 health care professionals on voluntary counselling and testing
- Reached 23,193 young people with outreach peer education activities
Read more about AMREF’s work in Ethiopia
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