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Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of the most populous countries in sub-Saharan Africa with about 85 million people. Approximately 80 percent of its people live in rural areas. The estimated per capita income is only $130, and nearly half of the population lives below the poverty line. Ethiopia’s health care system is among the least developed in sub-Saharan Africa, with fewer than 2,200 physicians and 18,000 nurses. Widespread poverty, poor nutrition, low education levels, and limited access to health services have contributed to the high burden of disease and poor health in the country. As much as 80 percent of the health problems in the country are due to preventable diseases, most notably HIV and malaria.

Ethiopia’s HIV seroprevalence is 2.1 percent overall, and 7.7 percent in urban areas. Among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics, seroprevalence is estimated at 2.2 percent.. Over 750,000 children have lost a parent due to HIV. In 2005, the Government of Ethiopia, with support from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), embarked on an ambitious program to provide universal access to care and treatment for people living with HIV.

ICAP in Ethiopia

ICAP works in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and Regional Health Bureaus (RHBs) to support comprehensive HIV services at hospitals in the Oromia, Somali, Harari, and Dire Dawa regions of Ethiopia, and as of 2012 has extended that support to health centers in the regions. As the only implementing partner supporting care and treatment in these regions, ICAP works in a geographic area with a combined population of nearly 30 million. Hospitals are largely rural or semi-urban, far from well-resourced urban areas, and health centers are often located in remote settings. ICAP provides comprehensive support to all HIV-related activities at these facilities with the overarching goals of enhancing service delivery and building capacity. ICAP also supports community systems in order to improve access to testing and prevention activities and enhance linkages between health facilities.

ICAP support consists of: