HIV rates double in parts of Ethiopia, Trump’s not helping
Rates of HIV have doubled in parts of the war-torn Tigray region of Ethiopia, a rate likely to increase following the suspension of aid from Donald Trump’s administration.
Tigray, once considered a model in the fight against HIV, has seen rising levels of HIV transmission following the two-year war between Tigray fighters and the Ethiopian government, supported by neighboring shadow fighters from Eritrea.
Sexual violence was widespread during the conflict, along with mass killings, famine and disease. The Associated Press reported on March 26th that as many as 10 percent of women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 were subject to sexual abuse, mostly rape and gang rape, according to a study published by BMJ Global Health in 2023.
Today, the HIV prevalence rate in Tigray is 3 percent, more than double the prewar average rate amongst displaced people at 5.5 percent. Among sexual violence survivors, it is 8.6 percent.
The war was also responsible for the decimation of Tigray’s health system, leaving only 17 percent of health centers functional with detrimental consequences for sexual abuse survivors. The AP says 90 percent of survivors did not get timely medical support.
The accessibility of healthcare, already damaged by the war, has been and will continue to be exacerbated following the suspension of USAID in Trump’s apparent war against corruption and government waste.
Ethiopia has already laid off 5,000 health workers who were hired with US funds to combat HIV whilst charities have received stop-work orders despite providing treatment to HIV patients.
The Organisation for Social Services, Health and Development, a national agency whose Tigray branch was testing people for HIV and providing food and financial support, has also been shut down following the suspension of aid.
The already tragic circumstance of widespread sexual abuse of civilians, reported from both sides of the war, and the resultant proliferation of sexually transmitted diseases and infections will only worsen now the region is being starved of vital aid.
The conflict in Ethiopia began in November 2020, less than a year after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for making peace with Eritrea. Since coming to power, Abiy’s government has since declared the Tigray authorities, those who ruled Ethiopia for three decades before him, a terrorist organization and has used Eritrean forces to attack the Tigray region.
After an agreement calling for the cessation of hostilities in the region in November 2022, the people of Tigray continue to grapple with the huge task of rebuilding, but without the pivotal international aid they desperately need.
On top of the spread of HIV, on a national level the country is also seeing a rise in malaria cases, from 900,000 in 2019 to 10 million in 2024. Measles also rose from 1,941 cases in 2021 to 28,129 cases in 2024. Meanwhile, over 18 percent of children are malnourished, leaving them vulnerable to disease.
Without the restoration of international aid to Ethiopia, and particularly the Tigray region, HIV will inevitably continue to spread and the risk of widespread disease continues to rise.
The Associated Press, Maghrebi
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Enter your email address and name to receive our weekly newsletter.
