New AIDS Resource Center Planned for Ethiopia
November 15, 2001
..
BALTIMORE-A new resource center with accurate and up-to-date information on HIV/AIDS will be established by The Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) in Ethiopia, a country that has one of the world’s highest HIV prevalence rates. The new center is made possible through a $300,000 cooperative agreement between JHU/CCP and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
.
CDC is responsible for HIV/AIDS prevention in the United States and also assists other countries in developing, implementing and evaluating HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programs. CDC directs the National Prevention Information Network (NPIN), a national clearinghouse for HIV/AIDS information.
.
The Ethiopia AIDS Resource Center-to be centrally located in the capital city of Addis Ababa-will provide journalists, healthcare workers, government officials and HIV/AIDS organizations with the latest information and materials on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis. The center plans to include print and web-based resources, and support a local AIDS telephone hotline that provides HIV/AIDS information and counseling services.
.
“Ethiopia has been devastated by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and there’s a crying need for accurate and accessible information,” said Tadesse Wuhib, MD, MPH, Director for CDC-Ethiopia. “Right now, there’s a severely limited supply of quality materials and current knowledge available for those trying to stop this disease.”
.
According to the CDC, Ethiopia has just one percent of the world’s population, but nine percent of the worldwide cases of HIV/AIDS. The disease has orphaned more than 700,000 Ethiopian children and more than a million people have died due to AIDS.
.
In addition to housing a clearinghouse of already available HIV/AIDS prevention materials, the new resource center will develop new high-quality print and audiovisual materials specifically for Ethiopia. The center will also provide training and source material for Ethiopian journalists to enhance their reporting on the epidemic.
.
“Our goal is for this center to serve as a hub for everyone working in Ethiopia to fight HIV/AIDS,” said Wuhib. “Through this center, we hope to network, coordinate and collaborate with each other to improve and expand our various activities.”
.
For example, the decision on where to house the new resource center will be made after consulting with government officials and other HIV/AIDS organizations.
.
JHU/CCP is a pioneer in the field of strategic, research-based communication for behavior change and health promotion that has helped transform the theory and practice of public health communications. With representatives in more than 30 countries, JHU/CCP has been a leader in the development of projects based on systematic needs assessments and clear strategies for positioning and presenting the benefits of health interventions to appropriate audiences.
.
To find out more about JHU/CCP, go to http://www.jhuccp.org.
.
.
Kim Martin
Chief, Media Relations and Advocacy
Center for Communication Programs
Johns Hopkins University
111 Market Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
(410) 659-6140
fax (410) 659-6266
A news and opinion journal on Ethiopia
HOME | PUBLISHER | ER FORUM | JOIN E-MAIL LIST | SUPPORT ER