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The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Signed an Agreement with the Society for AIDS in Africa to host the 16th ICASA in 2011 The International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) provides a platform for sharing experiences and lessons learnt in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa and around the globe with the view of intensifying the multi-sectoral response to the pandemic in the context of Africa. Our continent – Africa - particularly the Sub-Saharan Africa is heavily hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Out of 33.2 million people living with HIV and AIDS globally in 2007, 22.5 million (68%) are in Sub-Saharan Africa. On top of this, out of an estimated 2.5 million people newly infected with HIV in 2007, 1.7 million (0ver 2/3rd) are in Sub-Saharan Africa and out of 2.1 million deaths due to AIDS, 1.6 million (76%) occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa. Africa accounting about 10% of the world’s population is disproportionately affected by the pandemic as it carries over 2/3rd of the global AIDS burden. Although promising progress was made in the fight against AIDS in the region; AIDS remains great challenge to health and development of our continent. Thus, ICASA provides an opportunity for leaders, researchers, practitioners, program managers, civil societies, PLHIV, youths, women, the private sectors, and the media engaged in a joint fight against AIDS to review the situation of AIDS, what really worked well and what has failed, and innovatively adopt the lessons in the context of Africa to intensify the fight against HIV and AIDS in order to reduce new HIV infections and reverse the epidemic, improve quality of life to infected and affected population, meet the MDGs and jointly strive to realize Africa free of HIV/AIDS. As Ethiopia is one of countries heavily hit by the pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated over 1.1 million people living with HIV in the country in 2009 and over 131,000 estimated new HIV infections in a year, HIV remains a formidable health and development challenge. In response to the pandemic, the country is making commendable efforts in creating access to and increased utilization of HIV/AIDS and healthcare services as demonstrated by the current movement towards universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. Innovative community capacity enhancement initiative through health extension programme – institutionalized community health service – with deployment of over 30,000 health extension workers to create health competent families and communities throughout the nation. Moreover, we are training and deploying about 6000 health officers (physician assistants) to decentralize treatment and chronic HIV care services to primary health care services. There are youth and women capacity enhancement and vulnerability reduction activities such as community conversation, peer education, life skills, and small scale income generation. Network of PLHIV and Ethiopian Inter-Faith Forum for Development and Dialogue Action (EIFDDA) have become Principal Recipients of Global Fund Round 7, as part of CSO capacity building and empowering initiatives of the Government of Ethiopia. In addition to these, to know the epidemic, its driving forces, and to have informed planning and response, strategic information generation activities are being scaled up to assess and monitor the epidemic and the response through various surveys and studies at community level with emphasis on most at-risk population groups. Thus, hosting the 16th ICASA in 2011 in Ethiopia will give an opportunity to share experience in the country, in the continent and around the globe to various segments of population within the country and abroad. Ethiopia with experience of hosting the former OAU, the current AU and many international conferences for over 5 decades with great hospitality, will undoubtedly be suitable to host the next ICSA in 2011. The Government of Ethiopia is committed to make unreserved support for successful organization and hosting of the ICASA 2011. I would like to use this opportunity to call regional and international community to actively support and participate in the upcoming ICASA 2011. We would jointly work with the Society for AIDS in Africa and its traditional as well as new partners to realize the conference. I would like to thank the Society for AIDS in Africa for giving opportunity for hosting the upcoming ICASA 2011. I welcome you all to ICASA2011 in Ethiopia I thank you all. Dr. KEBEDE Worku |