A grant agreement amounting to 30 million U.S. dollars was signed Friday between Ethiopia and the World Bank to finance the second multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS project (MSAP II) in Ethiopia over the next three years.

Under the agreement, the support would be used to increase access to preventive services for most groups at risk of contracting the disease with emphasis on youth and particularly young women aged between 15 and 24.

The support is to be allocated in three phases, of which the first major portion will be used to support district and civil society initiatives.

Ethiopia is one of the countries hard hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. As of 2006, HIV prevalence was estimated at around 3.5 percent, according to antenatal care-based sentinel surveillance data, and 1.4 percent based on demographic health survey data.

An estimated 1.32 million people live with HIV, and there were around 128,900 new HIV infections in 2006.

Life expectancy in Ethiopia is falling as a result of the epidemic and is expected to drop to 50 years by 2010 from a previous estimate of 59 years.

Source: Xinhua