This July, as part of Letena Ethiopia’s HIV Awareness Month, we spoke with Mrs. Krittayawan Boonto, a seasoned public health expert with over two decades of experience across Asia and Africa who currently leads UNAIDS efforts in Ethiopia as a UNAIDS Country Director, to gain an understanding of the state of Ethiopia’s HIV response. We entered the conversation recognizing the progress that had been made. But we left with something more pressing: stories of burnout, budget gaps, and young people facing the crisis in isolation.
UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is the UN’s leading body driving the global response to HIV. It brings together the resources and expertise of 11 UN agencies to support countries in preventing new infections, expanding treatment access, ending stigma, and ultimately ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. In Ethiopia, UNAIDS works closely with the government, civil society, and international donors to align efforts, fill data gaps, and keep the HIV response accountable and inclusive.
Over the past twenty years, Ethiopia has made significant progress in fighting HIV. The 90-94-96 numbers speak for themselves: many people living with HIV know their status, are receiving treatment, and have achieved viral suppression. These results didn’t occur by chance; they came from long-term investments, community outreach, and the dedicated efforts of health professionals. But that progress is now under threat.
Here’s what many don’t realize: 94% of Ethiopia’s HIV response is funded by external donors. In 2025, major budget cuts from programs like PEPFAR and the Global Fund dealt a blow to the country that it was not prepared for. These cuts aren’t abstract. They translate into fewer services, stalled outreach programs, and broken trust.
This isn’t just about systems or spreadsheets. It’s about real people. During a recent visit to Bahir Dar and Afar, Mrs. Boonto and her team saw the gaps firsthand. Community health networks, peer educators, and expert patients, who help others with testing, care, and adherence, are in a vulnerable position. Their funding has been completely cut off, leaving many without the resources to continue their work. In some areas, medications are no longer available, and several service delivery centers have shut down entirely. In regions affected by conflict or displacement, mobility is also a challenge; some community health workers can’t even move safely to reach the people in need.
Then there’s the youth, the part of the epidemic we still aren’t addressing properly.
Despite being more digitally connected than ever, many young people in Ethiopia lack basic knowledge about HIV. On our own Letena platform, which reaches thousands of youth across the country, we regularly hear staggering misconceptions. These aren’t rural or uneducated voices who have limited access to information, but rather many are the urban and misinformed youth.
Some don’t know where to go for testing, others wait until they’re seriously ill before seeking care, and far too many believe HIV is a problem of the past. The silence around HIV in Ethiopia is dangerous. As Mrs. Boonto noted, “HIV has fallen off the radar.”
But it shouldn’t be. Especially not now.
This is a crucial moment. If HIV fades from view, years of progress risk being undone. The truth is, Ethiopia’s youth are not just at risk; they are essential to ending the epidemic. But they need better tools, accurate information, and sustained support.
That’s why digital innovations matter.
UNAIDS plans to launch a new chatbot in September, drawing from successes in countries like Indonesia. The goal is to create a safe and anonymous space where young people can ask questions, express concerns, and get linked to services, without fear or shame.
At Letena, we’ve already seen how this approach works. Our content speaks openly about sex, consent, prevention, and testing. And because we speak honestly, youth respond. They ask for help, share their stories, and follow up.
Even just having someone hear them out can make a difference. And this is why Mrs. Boonto emphasizes the necessity of enhancing and expanding existing efforts by supporting more youth-led groups, volunteer networks, and community-based programmes. To support Ethiopia’s HIV response, we need to invest in the people who are already involved and encourage more young individuals to take on leadership roles. However, empowering youth and building community networks is just one part of a much larger equation. We also need to address the systemic barriers that still hold many people back. Having medical supplies alone will not solve the issue. Stigma and discrimination continue to prevent individuals from seeking care. Moreover, displacement, poverty, and fear prevent individuals from getting the help they need.
Overcoming these barriers takes more than just logistics or infrastructure; it requires trust, consistency, and care from people who understand the local realities. And of course, building that kind of system can be challenging. But, making that vision a reality needs political will and ongoing funding, both of which are currently in short supply. Ethiopia’s Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health proposed a plan to tax workers to fund domestic HIV efforts. But the proposal stalled in parliament due to economic hardship and public pushback.
So, where does that leave us? It leaves us needing local innovation. It means empowering health extension workers with specialized HIV training. It means expanding safe digital platforms that meet young people where they are. It means scaling peer-led programs in universities and towns. It means fostering youth ownership and empowerment, transforming them from passive recipients into active participants who drive Ethiopia’s HIV response.
This won’t be solved by one ministry, one agency, or one donor. It will take collective action from local governments, community organizations, health professionals, educators, and young people to show up and move forward.
And finally, to Ethiopia’s youth:
You’re not just the spectators in this fight; you’re in the middle of it. As Mrs. Boonto made clear, the fight isn’t over. And it won’t be won without you. What we do now determines what comes next. Let’s not wait until it’s too late. So learn the facts, call out the silence, share what you know, support your friends, and stay curious.
Help bring the issue back into the spotlight.
Written by : – Bezawit Elias, Fourth Year Medical Student
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