Bureau to raise number of VCT centers to 180 in Amhara State
Bahir Dar, December 02,2005 (WIC) -The Amhara State Health Bureau has begun activities to raise the number of Voluntary HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing (VCT) centers to 180 in the state. Public Relations Officer with the bureau,Getachew Tiruneh told WIC yesterday that there are at present 148 VCT centers in the state providing services.
He said establishing the new centers,assigning professionals, furnishing the centers with equipment would be undertaken by the Ministry of Health, National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office and other partner organizations.
During this fiscal year preparations are underway to provide VCT services to 200,000 people,Getachew said,adding that some 14,000 people living with HIV/AIDS would also be given treatment.
The number of health institutions rendering treatment against mother to child transmission of the virus would be tripled to 28 from the existing nine and make 20,000 mothers beneficiaries of the service.
More than 600,000 people in the state live with the virus,it was stated.
