I-TECH Part of Winning AIDSTAR Consortium for Community Strengthening Work in Ethiopia

PATH has been awarded a 3-year contract, with an option for 2 additional years, to strengthen communities' abilities to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ethiopia. PATH will receive up to $35 million from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and together with partners, will help non-governmental organizations in Ethiopia improve and coordinate their efforts to provide services for people affected by HIV/AIDS.

This contract falls under USAID's AIDS Support and Technical Resources program, known as AIDSTAR. PATH is an AIDSTAR prime contractor.

Increasing services for communities in need

In Ethiopia, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has decreased life expectancy, weakened the country's health care system, and greatly reduced the workforce. More than 2% of adults ages 15 to 49 are estimated to be infected, and in urban areas, as many as 10% of people are living with HIV. PATH will build on regional and national efforts already underway by Ethiopia's Federal HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office (HAPCO) to bring services to people affected by the disease. The project will improve access to HIV/AIDS treatment and services, strengthen the quality of community- and home-based services, and raise awareness and demand for high-quality, comprehensive, and affordable services. PATH aims to reach more than 900,000 individuals in 300 towns.

"This project will allow PATH and our partners to have a tremendous impact on the lives of people affected by HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia and bring them the services they need," said Dr. Julie Pulerwitz, director of the HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis Global Program at PATH.

PATH's partners for the project include Dawn of Hope Ethiopia Association, Hope for Children Organization, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, International Relief & Development, International Training & Education Center on HIV (I-TECH), Mekdim Ethiopia National Association, Organization for Social Services for AIDS, and Westat.

I-TECH's strong presence and high-quality work in Ethiopia contributed greatly to the strength of the PATH proposal. Its role in this new program will be to support the technical assistance, training, and mentoring level implementation related to the following technical areas:

• Palliative care, including pediatrics
• Antiretoviral therapy, adherence, etc.
• Opportunistic infections
• Linkages
• HIV counseling and testing
• Social work pre-service training curricula and fellowship program

I-TECH is providing two full-time staff positions for the program: a Training Advisor and a Social Work Pre-service Coordinator.