2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic

An estimated 38.6 million [33.4 million–46.0 million] people worldwide were living with HIV at the end of 2005. An estimated 4.1 million [3.4 million–6.2 million] became newly infected with HIV, and an estimated 2.8 million [2.4 million–3.3 million] lost their lives to AIDS.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Overview

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the worst-affected region in the world. In 2005, there were 24.5 million in sub-Saharan Africa living with HIV. Globally, 64% of all people living with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Globally, there were an estimated 17.3 million women living with HIV in 2005 – three quarters (or 13.2 million) were living in sub-Saharan Africa. Around 59% of all adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are women.

In 2005, the region was home to 2 million children under 15 years of age living with HIV. Almost 90% of the total number of children living with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa, and fewer than one in ten of those children are being reached by basic support services.

An estimated 12 million children under the age of 17 (just under 10% of children) living in sub-Saharan Africa have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

In 2005, an estimated 2.7 million people in the region became newly-infected with HIV, and 2 million adults and children died of AIDS.

Around 72% (or 4.7 million) of all people in need of antiretroviral therapy live in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2005 around one in six people in need of treatment in the region were receiving it (i.e. 17% or 810,000 people).

Across the region, new rates of HIV infections peaked in the late 1990’s and some countries have shown recent declines, notably Kenya, Zimbabwe and urban areas of Burkina Faso. HIV prevalence appears to be leveling off (i.e. the number of new infections is roughly matching the number of people who are dying of AIDS), but at very high levels in southern Africa.

Source:

2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic