- Addis Ababa City Administration
- Afar National Regional State
- Amhara National Regional State
- Benishangul Gumuz National Regional State
- Dire Dawa Administration Council
- Gambella National Regional State
- Harari National Regional State
- Oromia National Regional State
- Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Regional State
- Somali National Regional State
- Tigray National Regional State
Free ARV Drugs have been distributed in Ethiopia since January 2005
Eligibility Criteria for Treatment
Ideally, access to ART should be universal and equitable. The “right to treatment” has now been recognized as a natural extension of the right to health. However, the reality in Ethiopia today dictates eligibility criteria as a result of inadequate supply of free ARVs. Therefore, not all those who qualify for free ART will be able to get it initially. To ensure equitable provision of ART, the following criteria for access to free ART, with a contingency quota plan, have been established.At the national level, the following are the minimum access criteria, given in order of importance:
- HIV regional prevalence and population density
- Access priority for vulnerable groups and health workers
At the facility level, access to ART will be prioritized based on:
- Clinical determinants such as CD4 count
- Clinician determined last resort priority
- The sickest with ART reversible conditions
- The most vulnerable, e.g. children
Safety of those who do not start indicated ART will be assured through:
- An open access practice set up that guarantees same day evaluation and care of patients who seek care.
- Prompt evaluation and care of OIs and other clinical conditions.
