Ethiopia

Key Results in 2022-2023

Over one million young people improved their knowledge of HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and safe practices for ensuring overall well-being.
Ethiopia integrated CAB-LA into the national pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) programme, extending coverage to pregnant and lactating mothers as well as people who inject drugs.
New national guidelines and standard operating procedures for health and HIV services in prison have been established. In addition, national guidelines were developed to address stigma and discrimination in the healthcare system.

Joint Programme Results

The Joint Programme support in Ethiopia reinforced primary healthcare and community-led HIV prevention and treatment efforts for key and vulnerable populations, including sex workers, prisoners, and people who inject drugs. Comprehensive HIV prevention, care and treatment guidelines were updated to integrate the latest WHO recommendations, including strategies for co-management of HIV, Leishmaniasis and cryptococcal meningitis (WHO).

The Government adopted long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) and included pregnant and lactating mothers and people who inject drugs in the national PrEP programme. The national post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) now covers non-medically exposed people in addition to medical and occupational rape cases. Heightened advocacy further led to the inclusion of people who inject drugs as among the key populations that are particularly vulnerable to HIV in Ethiopia and the development of tailored HIV programme for this group (UNICEF, WHO, UNAIDS Secretariat). Similarly, the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2023-2027 identified people with high-risk disabilities, unhoused children and adults and people in humanitarian settings as priority populations (UNAIDS Secretariat).

HIV incidence per 1000 uninfected populations

Source: AIDSinfo

AIDS mortality per 1000 population

Source: AIDSinfo

Progress towards 95-95-95 targets

Source: AIDSinfo

To improve integration and social protection of vulnerable population in criminal justice institutions, the Government developed national guidelines and standard operating procedures to support health and HIV service delivery in prison and enhance the rehabilitation and reintegration of people in prisons through effective referral mechanisms that will ensure continuity of care among those who were formerly in prisons (UNODC).

Over one million adolescents and young people improved their understanding of HIV prevention, SRH and safe practices and were empowered to effectively access these services, as a result of tailored and peer-led initiatives of the Joint Programme. Additionally, youth centres, sports clubs and drop-in centres scaled up access to comprehensive sexuality education, particularly for young people with disabilities and sex workers (UNFPA).

People living with HIV were empowered to advocate for their rights and lead the HIV response. For instance, 40 young people living with HIV were trained as HIV leaders to advocate for the health rights of adolescents and young people (UNFPA). A total of 35 member associations of the National Network of Positive Women in Ethiopia (NNPWE) are better equipped to identify and address social and structural barriers preventing women from accessing quality HIV services; and identify existing policy and legal frameworks related to HIV and gender-based violence (UN Women). In addition, healthcare providers in two regions received refresher trainings to scale up friendly, non-discriminatory services for people living with HIV who survived gender-based violence (UN Women). The Government further developed national guidelines to address stigma and discrimination within healthcare facilities, which serves as a basis for further expansion of non-discriminatory and friendly services for all key populations, including young people (UNAIDS Secretariat).