Tomorrow is another Day

Thirty years has elapsed since the emergence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. HIV prevalence and incidence remain alarmingly high. 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS in our Globe. An estimated 1.8 million people were newly infected with HIV worldwide in 2010. The impact of the epidemic remains worse in Sub-Saharan Africa than in any other region and it is calculated that 22.4 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, the incidence of infection and death rates due to HIV/AIDS remains steady or continues to rise (EDHS 2011)

Ethiopia has the second largest population in Sub-Saharan Africa and is severely affected by the epidemic. The epidemic is systematically undermining the country’s effort to reduce poverty and the impact of investments in health, education and rural development. Currently National Prevalence rate is 1.5(4.2 Urban&0.6 rural). the number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Ethiopia is approximately 759,338(61% female). 380,900 need ART, 900,000 Orphans due to AIDS, 27,978 new infections per year41,451 annual deaths, 38,404 HIV positive pregnant women, 7,806 positive births(EDHS 2011&ANC 2009 Biological and Behavioral Data)

The capital, Addis Ababa, and major urban towns account for an estimated 93% of the total PLHIV population. Vertical transmission from mother-to-child accounts for more than 90% of pediatric AIDS cases. These factors have made HIV prevention and AIDS impact reduction a continuing challenge(Nigatu and Woldegebriel, Reproductive Health Journal 2011, 8:6).. 

In the intervention communities of NLK, most women living with HIV/AIDS are often experience Violence from their spouses and families as the result of which the women  to be vulnerable to several factors such as physical abuse, psychological harm and shortage of living among others; in particular, shortage of living forced the women to find a way to earn income in commercial sex work, which again leads to unsafe sex and opportunistic infections and at higher risk of HIV/AIDS acquisition and transmission. Furthermore, this behavior is a gatekeeper for many HIV positive women not to disclose their HIV status for fear of Violence from their counterpart and /or families and driven out of home encountering economic problem.

Post the generous SASA TOT by Raising Voices in 2011, NLK had conducted formative assessment in order to understand the existing situation and vulnerability profiles of our target group beneficiaries, we identified that our beneficiaries have different needs and degree of related vulnerability. The findings indicate that Violence against women (VAW) is still a critical intervention area as it is contributing to the aggravation of HIV/AIDS in the communities.To respond to the problem, NLK started to implement SASA!  Power, Prevention of VAW and its connection to HIV/AIDS as the result of which we witness significant improvements;