ETHIOPIA: Cash injection to prevent AIDS babies

Ethiopia's national programme for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV is set to benefit from a new US $5 million grant.

The funding is part of US President George W Bush's $15 billion programme, launched earlier this year to tackle HIV/AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean.

In welcoming the grant, Ethiopian Health minister Dr Kebede Tadesse said the national PMTCT programme was an "important milestone" in combating the spread of the virus.

The US ambassador to Ethiopia, Aurelia Brazeal, said at the launch of the funding initiative: "The tragedy of HIV/AIDS is heartbreaking. Especially excruciating is seeing the preventable passing of the HI virus onto babies."

Research shows that mother-to-child transmission, which affects 60,000 babies each year, is the second highest cause of the spread of HIV in the country.

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews, Children,

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