Ongoing UNFPA Programs

Preventing HIV/AIDS

Ethiopia has a population of over 77 million (in 2005) and 1.5 million are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS. The overall HIV prevalence among adults is 4.4%; while among women and men it is 5% and 3.8%, respectively. Some 90,000 adults and 25,000 children had died of AIDS in 2003 alone and an estimated 539,000 AIDS orphans were known to have existed in same year. The majority of infections are through heterosexual transmission followed by mother-to-child transmission.

Strenghtening Emergency Obstetric Care

Women have limited access to health services, the health system is inadequate to provide emergency obstetrics care, and the referral system is mostly non-functional to avail care for mothers and newborns whenever complications of pregnancy and child-birth arise. Under utilization of the already existing public facilities by the rural majority makes the matter even worse.

Ending Fistula

Every year 9000 women in Ethiopia are victims of fistula. Obstetric fistula is an injury of childbearing which is usually caused by several days of obstructed labour, without timely medical intervention, typically a Caesarean section.

Demographic and Health Survey 2005

In recent years, supporting the timely completion of the demographic and Health Survey has become a key component of its overall Population and Development Strategy (PDS). The Fund was very much involved in the planning, implementation and dissemination of the preliminary results of the first ever demographic and health survey conducted in 2000 and played a key role in ensuring that gender and quality concerns were properly addressed.

Population and Housing Census 2007

The UNFPA contribution has been vital to the upcoming census programme so far, and its efforts have been much appreciated by the Government.