Strengthening the Fight Against HIV/AIDS: Lessons learned from Community-based Operations

Abstract

The fight against HIV/AIDS has been one of the most challenging public health problems worldwide during the last two decades and developing countries such as Ethiopia were heavily challenged due to limited capacities to cope with such a devastating epidemic. Initially responses were delayed due to denial and ignorance of the scale of damage the epidemic could cause. Lack of experience and inadequate infrastructure coupled with socio-cultural and economic constraints have also curtailed sufficient progress in prevention and control of the infection afterwards. As a result, the epidemic spread fast within the urban communities and subsequently into the rural population.