AIDS prevention efforts are critical in Eritrea. It is estimated that around 3% of the population (100,000 people out of 3.5 million) is HIV positive. Although this may seem low compared to other countries in Africa, the AIDS prevalence rate is on the rise and could face a major increase when the lingering border dispute with Ethiopia comes to an end. “A lot of young people are in the army now, explains Dr Araia Berhane, Director of HIV/AIDS treatment in the National AIDS and Tuberculosis Cure Division of the Ministry of Health. Once demobilization starts, they will go all over the country, to every village. This is why our plan includes (…) counseling and testing centers for the military.”
Apart from the 250,000-strong army (4.6% HIV prevalence in 2001), Eritrea’s AIDS prevention activities target other vulnerable groups such as commercial sex workers. In Asmara, 22 peer support groups (20 people each) have been set up to perform home based care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. They meet on a weekly basis to help and train each other on prevention methods such as male and female condom use. Their video and training equipment have been procured through the Ministry of Labour and Human Welfare with Global Fund support. Two thousand truck drivers have also taken part in weekly training sessions on HIV, malaria and tuberculosis provided by the National Confederation of Eritrean Workers.
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