Ethiopia

Ethiopia, on the eastern edge of Africa, is an ancient land. For centuries, it served as the crossroads of Arab and African culture. It is the second oldest Christian country; its rich artistic and cultural heritage is undeniable. Virtually alone among its neighbors, it managed to remain independent during decades of European imperialism. However, the final decades of the 20th century and the first years of the 21st century have not been easy for the people of Ethiopia, bringing widespread famine, war, and disease that killed millions of people.

With 74,800,000 residents, Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa after Nigeria. The population is growing at a rate of 2.31 percent annually. Only 16 percent of Ethiopians live in urban areas. Eighty percent live on less than $2 a day; per capita income is below $100 a year. Agriculture and subsistence farming is the linchpin of the economy.

Life expectancy at birth is currently 49 years for males and 51 years for females, with healthy life expectancy at 41 years for men and 42 years for women. Infant mortality rates have dropped slightly since 1990, now standing at 109 deaths per 1,000 live births. Mortality for children between the ages 1–5 has also edged down, dropping from 204 per 1,000 in 1990 to 164 per 1,000 in 2005. Maternal mortality is high, with 850 deaths per 100,000 live births. Only 28 percent of women receive any kind of prenatal care, and 6 percent have a trained attendant present at birth. Fifteen percent have access to birth control. As it is across the Horn of Africa, female genital mutilation (FGM) is widely practiced in Ethiopia. Sanitation and clean water access is scarce, with 22 percent of Ethiopians able to use potable water and 13 percent using sanitary facilities (figures drop significantly outside the cities, where only 11 percent have clean water and 7 percent have safe latrines). This leads to a high risk of food- and waterborne illness such as bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever.

Malaria, meningitis, and malnutrition are among the biggest health issues in Ethiopia today, with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS and tuberculosis following closely behind. Malaria cases have grown from 1.1 million in 1995 to 6.1 million in 2003. There were widespread outbreaks of meningitis in 2000, 2001, and 2002. A 2005 survey found 38 percent of the population underweight and 47 percent showing signs of stunting from long-term malnutrition. In the Somali region, almost 24 percent of the population were found to suffer from acute malnutrition. About 2.5 million were in need of supplemental food aid in 2006 alone.

The adult prevalence rate for HIV/AIDS is estimated at 2.8 to 6.7 percent of the population, with between 950,000 and 2.3 million Ethiopians currently infected. Five thousand new cases are contracted every week. The Ministry of Health counted just under 25,000 people receiving antiretroviral medications in 2005; the estimated number of patients in need was 211,000. There are about 400 testing sites spread across a country two-thirds the size of Alaska.

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