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Today while writing and thinking about HIV testing for adoptable children, I got wondering what the actual statistics are on HIV in Ethiopia. I found many of the following statistics here: NIC Ethiopia AIDS statistics.
Ethiopia’s adult prevalence rate of HIV is estimated at between 10 and 18 percent. Government figures cite 2.7 million Ethiopians currently as HIV positive, although experts believe the actual number may be between 3 and 5 million. The prevalance in cities is higher than in rural areas: 13-20% in cities versus 5% in rural areas.
The generally poor health of Ethiopians as a result of drought, malnutrition, limited healthcare, and other infectious diseases causes HIV to progress rapidly to AIDS. Heterosexual transmission is the primary mode of spread.
People with multiple partners, especially those with sexually transmitted diseases and prostitutes, not surprisingly have significantly higher infection rates. This ranges from 30 to 40 percent in STD-positive individuals to 50 to 70 percent in prostitutes.
According to the NIC website:
“War has significantly contributed to the spread of the disease in Ethiopia. Many soldiers contracted HIV/AIDS during the civil war in the 1980s by having contact with multiple sex partners. When the war ended in 1991, thousands of infected soldiers and prostitutes returned home, spreading HIV/AIDS in their villages and towns.“Another surge of infections may be underway. Ethiopia has demobilized 150,000 soldiers over the last two years as the conflict with Eritrea has wound down. More troops will be sent home as the border dispute is settled…”
“Looking ahead, we expect 7 to 10 million Ethiopians probably will be infected by 2010 because of the high current rate of adult prevalence, widespread poverty, low educational levels, and the government’s limited capacity to respond more actively.”
According to the Ethiopia AIDS campaign statistics, in 2004 there were about 4.5 million orphans in Ethiopia. 539,000 of these children were orphaned due to AIDS. Only a tiny fraction of these orphans actually have to good fortune to be adopted.
According to the US Department Of State website in 2005, 441 Ethiopian children were adopted to the US. There are a number other countries with Ethiopian adoption programs, including Spain and Australia. But as it stands now, the majority of orphans in Ethiopia are not adopted.
There is a tremendous need, both for families to adopt the AIDS orphans, and for people willing to assist the HIV positive kids who will not be adopted. Some brave folks are even conquering mountains of red tape and adopting children with HIV. If you would like to help some of the orphans living with HIV, visit the AHOPE website for information on child sponsorship.
Happy to read: “Some brave folks are even conquering mountains of red tape and adopting children with HIV.”
We are a brave family. But that is because we didn’t know until we got home that our child was HIV-positive. We are not yet sure wether it’s been a mistake done at the test lab, or if the papers with NEGATIVE was a falsifcation made on purpose.
No matter why… our child is here and we love this child with all of our hearts!
But we were not brave in the beginning. But e are brave now!
I’m wishing you all the best!! Sometimes bravery is learned along the way, isn’t it?
Mary