New money to tackle diseases

The Global AIDS Fund has released to Ethiopia US $45 million of the $100 million total grant to tackle HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, the Ethiopian News Agency reported on Tuesday. Dr Richard Feachem, executive director of the Fund, said during recent talks with Ethiopian President Girma Woldegiorgis that the remaining $55 million would be released in the near future. The Fund would also try to secure additional financial resources to complement the country's efforts in tackling the three diseases. In welcoming the grant, Woldegiorgis said the Fund's support would spur efforts to check the spread of HIV/AIDS and control the high death toll from malaria and tuberculosis in the country. Research shows that 6.4 percent of adults in Ethiopia are living with HIV/AIDS and the country has been ranked sixth among countries most affected by tuberculosis.