ADDIS ABABA, Nov 23 (AFP) - Some four million Ethiopians are infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS, government figures released in Tuesday's press stated.

The statistics were made public 17 months after the United Nations warned that more than nine percent of the adult population of Ethiopia was HIV-positive.

Vice-Minister of Information and Culture Besrat Geshaw noted that with an estimated four million people who live with HIV/AIDS, Ethiopia is among countries with the highest rate of infection, the government daily Ethiopian Herald said.

"A lot remains to be done in bringing about the desired behavioural changes on the part of the public," she said, even though the Addis Ababa authorities had launched a general alert against AIDS in September 1998, after adopting an emergency plan the previous month.

"The role of the mass media in this respect is enormous," the vice-minister added at an AIDS seminar held in the capital.

A medical delegate from the Addis Ababa health office criticised different and inadequate approaches on the part of the media.

Getachew Fiseha, doctor in charge of the department for the control of sexually-transmitted diseases, warned that "most of the information concerning HIV/AIDS is not suited to the psychology of the youth, nor comprehensible to the majority of the populace."

June 1988 estimates from the United Nations specialised office UNAIDS had disclosed a big increase in sero-posivity in Ethiopia over the previous year, putting the Horn of Africa third on the list at global level.

991123
AF991129

Copyright © AFP or Agence France-Presse, 1999 - AFP stories and photos shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, that no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP photos or materials. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP stories, photos or graphics.  http://www.afp.com/