In March 2007, the International Development Association approved a grant of $30 million for the Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Program II (EMSAP II). The project aims to increase access to preventative services for most groups at risk of contracting the disease, and youth, particularly young women ages 15-24. The grant will also help to sustain HIV/AIDS efforts begun under Ethiopia’s first multi-sector AIDS program.
EMSAP II focuses on at-risk groups in hot spots in rural and peri-urban areas such as market towns. By targeting groups of people who tend to show higher HIV prevalence rates, the project attempts to slow the spread of the virus , particularly with respect to urban-rural transmission, The project aligns federal and regional institutional structures, with an emphasis on transparency and accountability among organizations that carry out specific projects under the grant. The program will also address capacity-building needs—not only gaps in skills but also shortcomings in institutions and systems.
By using the public sector to target high-risk and vulnerable groups, EMSAP II will help citizens better understand how to avoid contracting or transmitting HIV, as well as to help foster behavior change. The grant will fund projects in peer education, condom distribution, and communications activities that target behavioral change and discourage traditional practices that increase risks. Specific attention will be paid to integration of HIV/AIDS in reproductive health programs.
EMSAP II also supports local community and woreda-based initiatives. Several intervention and mitigation activities will be developed to increase HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention methods at the community level.
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