New Study Reveals Recent HIV Infections in Eastern Ethiopia, Calls for Targeted Advocacy

A groundbreaking study published in Frontiers in Epidemiology on January 23, 2025, examined recent HIV-1 infections in Harari region using the Asante Rapid Recency assay, revealing key factors like urban prevalence (2.9%) and higher rates among women (1.2%). NNPWE, aligning with the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan 2021-2025, urges intensified prevention efforts for adolescent girls and young women to curb new infections and AIDS-related deaths. The findings emphasize the need for gender-responsive strategies, including stigma reduction and expanded testing, to achieve epidemic control by 2025.