What is it about?
HIV/AIDS is a major health problem in Ethiopia. We know very little about how much the national HIV program has achieved in controlling the spread of the HIV epidemic in the country. A nationwide survey covering a large sample of the population in urban Ethiopia was conducted. The survey showed that Ethiopia has progressed very well in controlling the infection. Gaps requiring attention were identified in accessing testing for HIV, treating those testing positive, and decreasing the virus level in the blood of those who received treatment.
Featured Image
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
Why is it important?
A survey to understand the current situation of the HIV epidemic in the population and the results of interventions to control the epidemic by the national program in Ethiopia were not known. This large-scale survey in urban areas of the country, where the epidemic mainly occurs, identified that the country was close to controlling the epidemic. Ethiopia would need to use the evidence to focus its program on the gaps identified such as specific geographic, age, sex, education, and risk groups.
Perspectives
This was a high-quality survey that generated very useful information for Ethiopia and other similar settings. Such surveys are required periodically to guide national and regional programs to control the HIV epidemic and get to the point where HIV infection is no more a public health threat.
Sileshi Lulseged
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Progress towards controlling the HIV epidemic in urban Ethiopia: Findings from the 2017–2018 Ethiopia population-based HIV impact assessment survey, PLoS ONE, February 2022, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264441.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
