Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - September 8, 2009
"New Year! New Life! Test for HIV, test with your partner, get your children tested and brighten the future of your family! Free testing. Happy New Year!" says an SMS message which is being sent in batches ahead of this week's celebrations.
Ethiopia follows a calendar long abandoned by the West that squeezes 13 months into every year and entered the 21st century in 2007. It will become 2002 in Ethiopia on September 11.
The text messages are being sent to all of Ethiopia's 2.5 million mobile users and have been hitting handsets for the last week in the capital Addis Ababa and most of the country's major towns. There is also a billboard campaign offering free checks.
"About half a million a year used to be tested," Meskele Lera, deputy director of Ethiopia's Federal HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Office told Reuters.
"But that has been increasing every year and, with the help of the publicity campaign we started with our Millennium, we tested 5.8 million last year," he said.
An estimated 1.1 million people in Ethiopia are infected with HIV, according to the government. The United Nations children's fund (UNICEF) estimates that more than 900,000 Ethiopian children have been orphaned by AIDS.
The Horn of Africa country, which has a population of some 80 million, normally heavily subsidizes HIV/AIDS testing as well as offering free testing in some public hospitals.
About 33 million people globally are infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS, and most of them live in Africa and other developing countries.
(Reporting by Barry Malone; Editing by David Clarke)
090908
RE090902
Copyright © 2009 - Reuters, Ltd. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Contact Reuters.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2009. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2009. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .