Ethiopian MPs Turn to Music and Song to Raise AIDS Awareness

On Thursday, more than 400 Ethiopian members of parliament -- almost 80 percent of that body -- recorded a song, "Find a Solution," intended to raise HIV/AIDS awareness. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi opened the session with a speech about AIDS. The project was the idea of the National Women's Coalition against AIDS, of which Zenawi's wife, Azeb Mesfin, is a member. Ethiopian writer Yelema Gebrehaeb wrote the song, which the MPs performed with 10 artists including Alemayhu Eshete, one of the country's most famous stars. Roughly 2.4 million Ethiopians have HIV/AIDS, out of a population of 70 million, according to the health ministry. International experts put the figure closer to 3 million. The song will also be recorded in English on a CD to mark World AIDS Day, Dec. 1.

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