Ethiopia Field Visit
PNoWB outgoing Chairman Bert Koenders with schoolchildren
A delegation of fifteen parliamentarians from Burundi, Gabon, Gambia, India, Ireland, Philippines, Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda, US, and Netherlands visited Ethiopia from January 12-18, 2004.
The field visit focused on the development challenges and public policy problems posed by HIV/AIDS pandemic. During a two-day workshop in Addis Ababa, the delegation heard from government, NGOs and the donor community (including the World Bank, UNAIDS, USAID and DFID) working on all aspects of the fight against the disease, and visited a local HIV/AIDS project known as “MEKDEM”.
As part of the workshop, the delegation had the opportunity to share experiences with many Ethiopian parliamentarians. The Addis Ababa meeting also served to strengthen the structure of the PNoWB HIV/AIDS committee.
US Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Co-Chair of the HIV/AIDS Committee
