11 Facts about HIV in Africa

1. The first case of HIV/AIDS in Africa was reported in 1982.
2. Of the 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS across the world, 27.7 million are in Africa.
3. More than 5 million people are said to be living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa, the highest number of any country in the world.
4. In 2007, 2 million people died due to HIV/AIDS. 1,850,000 lived in Africa.
5. Women account for 59% of adults aged 15 and over said to be living with HIV/AIDS in Africa.
6. South Africa has been hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic. One in five adults is HIV positive.
7. South Africa also has one of the highest numbers of children under 15 living with HIV/AIDS in the world; estimates range from 180,000 to 280,000.
8. 2.5 million people in Africa receive Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), medications for the treatment of infection by retroviruses, primarily HIV.
9. An additional 8.7 million are in need of ART.
10. There are 15 million AIDS orphans living around the world, 13 million of whom are in Africa.
11. HIV is the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2006, AIDS-related deaths accounted for nearly half of all deaths in South Africa.

This table provides a compelling view of how HIV/AIDS is ravaging Africa

HIV/AIDS statistics for Africa at the end of 2007, compared to the rest of the world.

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Henry Kaiser Family Foundation

Averting HIV & AIDS

AIDS and Africa

The World Bank