December 1/2007

PRESS RELEASE

WORLD AIDS DAY

Ethiopia is one of the countries in Africa badly affected by the AIDS epidemic. Close to 4 million people are afflicted by the HIV virus and thousands die yearly for lack of adequate health care.

 The  spread of AIDS in Ethiopia was encouraged from 1991-1995 by the dissolution of the organism set up by the previous regime to combat the spread of AIDS. The regime of the EPRDF, under Meles Zenawi, not only dissolved the  national level body set up to combat AIDS but also ruined the whole health care system. Furtermore, the politics of the regime militated for the creation of the social conditions that encourage the spread of AIDS. The increasing unemployment rate, wide spread prostitution, the atmospehre of hopelessness accomapnied by the enouragement of alcoholism and, above all, the lack of information on AIDS have all made the spread of AIDS easier. The disease is still shrouded in mystery and not even acknowledged in many parts though it is ravaging hundreds of thousands all over the country.

 The real fight against AIDS has also been hijacked by the ruling elite with the wife of the Prime Minister in the lead and the NGOs ostensibly set up to combat AIDS /and most being under government control/ are being used for embezzlement of the donor's money. In short, the fight against AIDS in Ethiopia inevitably calls into question the regime in power that has also earned notoriety as one of the worst human rights violator in Africa.

SOCEPP