The HIV/AIDS epidemic is currently declining in Africa. According to UNAIDS 2013 report, new HIV infection among children was reduced by 50 % in seven Sub Sahara African Countries including Ethiopia since 2009.
Regarding HIV/AIDS prevention and control program interventions, EOC-DICAC/RRAD has two main phases of activities;
- Prevention through different HIV awareness raising trainings and workshops with refugees respective language,
- Psychosocial care and support
As result, EOC-DICAC has been part of the alliance of government agencies, NGOs and faith based organizations that have led a continuous community based campaign, care and support to people living with HIV and Highly vulnerable children in Ethiopia. However, according to UNAIDS, around 790,000 people in Ethiopia are still living with HIV in 2013 and also a number of refugees are affected. These refugees get treatment and care in the camps but when the individuals need intensive care, treatment and close follow up, they are referred to Addis Ababa where they get further support. Hence, EOC-DICAC has full responsibility to those urban refugees to facilitate their medical and psychosocial needs as well as close follow-ups through its social workers, 24 hours standby emergency program teams and ambulance services.
EOC-DICAC has comprehensive care and supports for refugees living with HIV/AIDS. These services include but are not limited to:
- Nutrition support and care
- Adherence counseling
- Monitoring of progress of CD4 level and observations
- Hygiene and sanitation material support
- Assignment of volunteer home based care facilitators
To this end DICAC has made remarkable progress in providing and facilitating the services from different government and private hospitals and higher clinics. DICAC also provides different psychosocial support based on the medical and psychosocial identified needs of urban refugees.
EOC-DICAC/RRAD has been organizing a number of trainings and workshops in different aspects of HIV and AIDS(mode of transmission, prevention methods, care and support, voluntary counseling and testing, stigma and discrimination, positive living etc,) for urban refugees to raise their awareness and be able to protect themselves and stop further transmission of HIV. The trainings are conducted at the DICAC office for refugee and returnee affairs in cooperation with different health professionals and institutions. HIV/AIDS is also one of the topics that are mainstreamed in all social service activities.
Recently, the organization targets one volunteer family member to be trained on comprehensive family health issues (reproductive health/HIV/AIDS, child and maternal nutrition promotion, and other common communicable diseases and be a resource person by training other family members.
EOC-DICAC/RRAD is able to support most refugees living with HIV/AIDS to stay healthy and live a relatively normal life. As main success, EOC-DICAC/RRAD has not registered any new case of HIV infection among urban refugees within the last three years. Besides, HIV positive mothers have also given birth to HIV negative babies which should be attributed to the collective effort of DICAC/RRAD and its partner health facilities.