December 1 is a World AIDS Day, on 2025 under the theme “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response”, calling for sustained political leadership, international cooperation, and human-rights-centred approaches to end AIDS by 2030.
The main organizer of the event, Professor Mulugeta Gebregziabher from Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) department of Public Health Science,USA mention that, the” 95-95-95 strtegy” is a global to end the HIV epidemic,So TIgray is also to work hard to achieve it.
The Target HIV Goals: 95-95-95
- Test: 95% of all people living with HIV know their HIV status.
- Treat: 95% of people who know their HIV status are on antiretroviral therapy (ART).
- Thrive: 95% of people on ART have a suppressed viral load.
Dr.Hayelom Kahsay the Director General TIgray Health Research Institute and the researcher stated that, The findings of the studies include:
Study on commercial sex worker: from a survey of 1146, the prevalence of HIV was 8.6%. The study on commercial sex worker was undertaken in Sheraro, ,Shere, Adwa, Adigrat, Qedamay weyane (mekelle), Mekoni
study on IDP: from a survey of 677, the prevalence of HIV was 5.5%. The study on IDP was from participant sites in Shere, Adwa, Adigrat, and Mekelle.
study on the community: from a survey of 6010, the prevalence of HIV was 3% compared to 1.3% before the war.
One very important finding based on subsample analysis is STI and HIV prevalence among those affected by SGBV during the war. There were 57 women (10.4%) that reported experiencing SGBV among the 677 in the IDP campus. From those 86% reported that they were by Eritrean , Ethiopian and Amhara forces. Shockingly, the STI prevalence was 10.5% and the HIV prevalence was 8.8%.
Public Relation officer
Tigray Health Research Institute