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Nov. 1, 2018

NELLY GACHANJA

3 min read

10 Facts About HIV in Africa

10 Facts About HIV in Africa

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Did you know HIV/AIDS is one of major health concern and death in many parts of Africa? Despite the continent being a home to 15.2% of the world’s population, more than two-thirds of the total infected worldwide - some 35 million people - were Africans, of whom 15 million have already died.

Africa accounts for almost 69% of all people living with HIV and 70% of all AIDS deaths in 2011. AIDS has raised death rates and lowered life expectancy among adults between the ages of 20 and 49 by about twenty years. The life expectancy in many parts of Africa is declining, largely as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic with life-expectancy in some countries reaching as low as thirty-four years.

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Southern Africa is the worst affected region on the continent. As of 2011, HIV has infected at least 10 percent of the population in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In response, a number of initiatives have been launched in various parts of the continent to educate the public on HIV/AIDS. With time these efforts have greatly reduced the misconceptions of HIV/AIDs and stigma has greatly reduced towards people infected. Here are 10 facts about HIV in Africa you should know.

     As of 2011, 71% HIV/AIDS related deaths were people living in Africa.
     More than 1 million children and adults die each year from HIV/AIDS in Africa.
     Since the epidemic of HIV/AIDS more than 75 million people have contracted HIV and over 36 million have died from the illness related causes.
     Out of the 34 million HIV-positive people worldwide, 69% live in sub-Saharan Africa. There are roughly 23.8 million infected persons in all of Africa.
     HIV/AIDS epidemic has drastically slowed the economic growth and social development in Africa, because hundreds of thousands of people are unable to work or receive an education.
     Antiretroviral drugs treatments can greatly decrease the number of HIV-related deaths by delaying the progression of the virus and allowing people to live long healthy normal lives.
     Due to an insufficient supply of antiretroviral drugs and health care providers in 2010, only 5 of the 10 million HIV-positive patients in Africa were able to receive treatment.
     Because of HIV/AIDS, the average life-expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa is 54.4 years of age.
     The use of condoms has tremendously increased in recent years because it is an inexpensive way to offer to both the HIV-positive and negative. However, the method is void when couples are hoping to conceive or have already engaged with infected persons.
     A pregnant woman not treated with the proper drugs, has a 20-45% chance to infect the infant with the virus from pregnancy. 59% of HIV-positive people in Africa are women, the majority of children diagnosed with HIV get the virus from their mothers.

Africa.com

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