Addis Ababa, April.23(ENA)--The visiting US Government's Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Randall L. Tobias said his country would strengthen the support it has been providing to Ethiopia for HIV/AIDS intervention activities.

Conferring here on Friday with President Girma Woldegirorgis, who is also Chairperson of the National AIDS Council, Ambassador Tobias said the attention attached by the government, religious institutions and other pertinent bodies to fight HIV/AIDS was encouraging.

The efforts underway in the country to arrest the spread of the virus need to be further scaled up.

The Ambassador said the people of the US and President Gorge W. Bush have been committed to provide the essential support to the efforts geared towards preventing the spread of the disease and its effects.

Ambassador Tobias said his visit was aimed to learn the status of AIDS in Ethiopia and identify the assistance to be rendered from the US government.

The Ambassador noted that discussion held with President Girma focused on issues of setting an example by speaking out and helping people understand what they need to do to address the problem of AIDS.

The coordinator said he discussed on recommended points believed to help check the spread of HIV/AIDS, including eliminating stigma associated with the disease, aware youths to delay sexual practice and encouraging testing before marriage.

President Girma said on his part that to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS effectively, the country needs support in finance as well as professional training.

An official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who attended the meeting quoted Girma as saying that to scale up the activities of prevention, various preparations were carried out and additional fund was required to enhancing the prevention work.

Education and Sensitization Department Head with the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office (HAPCO) Dr. Teklu Belay said a three year strategic plan that would enable to restrain the spread of the disease in Ethiopia was designed.

Dr Teklu said the US Emergency Plan for AIDS which Ethiopia would benefit from was compatible with the country's needs to address the problem..

He said the visit of Ambassador Tobias to Ethiopia would have a role in enhancing the prevention activities launched in Ethiopia.

The US government has committed 15 Billion US Dollars for nine countries including Ethiopia for the five years AID intervention.

President Bush Named Randall Tobias as Global AIDS Coordinator in July 2003.

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