Ethiopia has the fourth highest number of people living with HIV in the world, and the second highest number of deaths from AIDS in Africa.
Approximately 1.3 million people in Ethiopia are living with HIV, making the virus a considerable threat to Ethiopia’s future. As one of the poorest countries in the world, Ethiopia faces a huge task providing treatment, care and support to affected households.
Programme
The British Red Cross funds an extensive programme to take measures against HIV in Ethiopia. Working through the Ethiopian Red Cross, the programme addresses HIV in three ways:
- Through peer education, where young people encourage their peers to adopt safer lifestyles and try to counter stigma and discrimination
- Through raising awareness to reduce stigma and discrimination through holding rallies and events, promoting voluntary counselling and testing services, providing safe blood and distributing condoms.
- Through home-based care, where Red Cross workers visit the homes of people living with HIV to provide them and their families with information, care and support, helping them lead healthier and happier lives.
Between 2007-2010, the programme aims to assist 150,000 people across 2,500 communities in the following five districts of northern and western Ethiopia:
- Tigray region
- North Gondar and West Gojam in Amhara region
- East Wollega and Illubabor in Oromia regions
Case studies
When Zode was first diagnosed with HIV, her neighbours banished her to the outskirts of the village. Thanks to the Red Cross she has been welcomed back into the community and receives practical support from a home-based care volunteer.
Meleke Burato and Bufkadu Bogoje were bedridden when they were first diagnosed with HIV. The Red Cross trained their daughter to care for them. Not only are they feeling much better, but Meleke is setting up an association to help others living with HIV in his community.
More about our HIV programmes
More about our programmes in Africa | 
