Welcome to the official website of ASK US Positive Children, Adolescents and Youth National Association, a beacon of hope and support for those facing the unique challenges of being HIV positive.
Our journey began in 2001, born out of the shared experiences and resilience of adolescents and youths who overcame the multidimensional challenges of living with HIV. Read More
These challenges included the loss of peers or siblings, the uncertainty of staying alive, fear of death, stigma, discrimination, inadvertent disclosure, and related psychosocial and economic issues. Read More
Ask Us HIV positive children, Adolescents and Youth National Association established in 2001, was founded by about 30 passionate HIV-positive children, adolescents, and youth. Currently, the association is playing significant role in setting the issue of HIV positive children, adolescents and youth as a national agenda.
ASK US has developed a five-year HIV/AIDS strategic plan, which covers the period of 2023-2028, is prepared based on a comprehensive situational analysis and wider stakeholders’ consultation. The strategic plan aims to guide programs, resource mobilization and partnership to the benefit of children, adolescents, and youth with due focus on the HIV positive children, adolescents and youth and their families. ASK US Vision, mission, and priorities 2023-2028
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The goal of the strategy is to contribute towards ending AIDS by 2030and enhance health, psychosocial and economic wellbeing of children, adolescents, and youth especially HIV positives through their empowerment and leadership. The following are the strategic objectives:
Reach 20, 000 HIV positive adolescents and youth and 10,000 high risk AGYW and young key and priority populations with SRH, sexual relationships, marriage and family counseling and HIV prevention information, counseling and services by 2028.
Reach 20,000 HIV positive children, adolescents and youth with mental health, psychosocial and economic counseling, support and services by 2028.
Contribute to the national efforts of ensuring 95% of HIV positive children, adolescents and youth knew their HIV status or known of their HIV status, 95% of those who know their HIV status or with known HIV status started on ART and 95% of CAYLHIV on ART attain viral suppression by 2028.
Advocate and contribute to ensuring 90 % professional and timely disclosure of HIV status to CALHIV by 2028.
Contribute to triple elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV, congenital syphilis, viral hepatitis B below 5% by 2028.
• Contribute to reduce below 10% stigma and discrimination, gender-based violence and gender inequalities and eliminate human rights and legal barriers to services.
Contribute to the national efforts of ensuring 95% of HIV positive children, adolescents and youth knew their HIV status or known of their HIV status, 95% of those who know their HIV status or with known HIV status started on ART and 95% of CAYLHIV on ART attain viral suppression by 2028.
The goal of the strategy is to contribute towards ending AIDS by 2030and enhance health, psychosocial and economic wellbeing of children, adolescents, and youth especially HIV positives through their empowerment and leadership. The following are the strategic objectives:
Reach 20, 000 HIV positive adolescents and youth and 10,000 high risk AGYW and young key and priority populations) with SRH, sexual relationships, marriage and family counseling and HIV prevention information, counseling and services by 2028.
Reach 20,000 HIV positive children, adolescents and youth with mental health, psychosocial and economic counseling, support and services by 2028.
Contribute to the national efforts of ensuring 95% of HIV positive children, adolescents and youth knew their HIV status or known of their HIV status, 95% of those who know their HIV status or with known HIV status started on ART and 95% of CAYLHIV on ART attain viral suppression by 2028.
Advocate and contribute to ensuring 90 % professional and timely disclosure of HIV status to CALHIV by 2028.
Contribute to attainment of the global 40-60-80 and the national targets for community led HIV testing, social enablers and prevention services and community led monitoring of performance and quality of services to children, adolescents and youth.
Contribute to reduce below 10% stigma and discrimination, gender-based violence and gender inequalities and eliminate human rights and legal barriers to services.
ASK US has been achieving successful results in its endeavors and created lasting impacts or sustainable changes, through its various program interventions, as briefly described below.
In 2021 the national HIV prevalence among adult population is estimated at 0.92% (EPHI, 2022). The HIV burden is disproportionately higher in Urban areas. HIV prevalence is seven times higher in urban areas than in rural areas 2.9% versus 0.4% (CSA & ICF 2018). There is very wide regional variation in HIV prevalence. The HIV prevalence is highest in Gambella (3.56%), Addis Ababa (3.33%), Harari (2.89%) and Diredawa (2.47%) while the HIV prevalence was lowest in Somali (0.15%) and SNNP (0.42%) (EPHI, 2022).
Women are the most affected by the HIV epidemic in Ethiopia. Among women and men aged 15-49 in Ethiopia, HIV prevalence is higher among women than men, 1.2% versus 0.6% respectively (CSA & ICF, 2018). Prevalence of HIV infection among adults (ages 15-64 years) in urban Ethiopia was 3.0% where the HIV prevalence among women was twice that of men 4.1% versus 1.9% (EPHI, 2020).
HIV prevalence (burden) is the highest among adults in the age group 40-44 years. Among women, HIV prevalence generally increases with age, affecting 0.4% of women aged 15-19 and 3.0% of women aged 40-44, before declining to 1.9% among those age 45-49. Among men, HIV prevalence increases from less than 0.1% among those age 15-19 to 1.6% among men aged 40-49, and then decreases to 0.6% among men age 55-59 (CSA & ICF, 2018).
Though data is scarce and old the prevalence presumes to vary among population groups in Ethiopia. Female sex workers, people who inject drugs, widowed and divorced men and women, distance drivers, mobile workers and high-risk adolescent girls are recognized to have high risk and burden of HIV.
In Ethiopia HIV transmission is largely heterosexual and low comprehensive knowledge about HIV and STIS, multiple sexual relationship including casual and paid sex, low use of condom during high-risk sex, STIs, sharing needle among PWID, low male circumcision in pocket of communities in west and south Ethiopia, alcohol and substance use, gender-based violence and other gender related and socioeconomic factors contribute to HIV risk and vulnerabilities in Ethiopia.
Guirid Sholla Drar mall 6th floor
info@askus.org
+251912682071
