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External assistance urged in AIDS battle

Despite crucial steps taken by Ethiopia to tackle HIV/AIDS, the east African country urgently needs external assistance if its efforts are to be successful, a senior UN official has said. Following his recent visit to Africa's second most populous country, Stephen Lewis, the Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, said the Ethiopian government was seeking US $400 million from the Global AIDS Fund to combat the disease. Research shows that between 2 and 3 million of the country's nearly 70 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. Lewis said: "The possibilities of widespread treatment in Ethiopia hang on the availability of resources."

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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