9/9/2005
Swedish Gift To AIDS Orphans

Sweden has donated nearly $5 million to help a growing number of AIDS orphans in Ethiopia. The money will be administered through UNICEF. The agency and its partners in the orphans and vulnerable children national taskforce have been seeking $11 million to implement the first phase of a National Plan of Action covering 56,000 AIDS orphans.

"Despite our modest initial goals, responses from donors towards the Plan have been poor," said UNICEF Representative, Bjorn Ljungqvist, this week. "This Swedish contribution is the first major contribution we have received since the plan was announced last December." Over the past three years UNICEF has put national youth networks in place and established over 10,000 anti-AIDS clubs across the country, with the assistance of the Norwegian and Austrian Governments.

From today's $4.96 million Swedish gift, the anti-AIDS clubs will be strengthened and the young people will receive counselling, testing and other health and educational support. Activities covered by the contribution will be implemented in Afar, Oromia, Somali and Tigrai regions over the next three years, UNICEF said.