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WELLBEING: HIV AND AIDS, PREVENTION
AND CARE:
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The impact of HIV and AIDS across geographic regions
1 The most up-to-date data about the AIDS epidemic (from late 2006), released by UNAIDS, the joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS shows an estimated:
- 39.5 million people living with HIV – adult women, 45%; adult men, 49%; children under 15 years, 6%;
- 4.3 million people newly infected with HIV in 2006 – adults, 88%; children under 15,12%;
- 2.9 million AIDS deaths in 2006 – adults,
90%; children under 15, 10%.
Adult prevalence of HIV, 2006
2 In 2006, the worldwide
average of HIV infection among adults was 1%. The average for the ten
major regions is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Adult prevalence of HIV, 2006
3 A cursory glance at Figure 1 might
suggest that AIDS is principally a sub-Saharan Africa problem. In some
respects this is correct, as 63 percent of the people living with HIV
in 2006 (24.7 million) were in this region. However the story is not
so clear when new infections are taken into account. Figure 2 shows the
extent to which new HIV infections in 2006 compared with the 2004 situation.
As is evident from Figure 2, the rate of increase in sub-Saharan Africa
was at the lower end of the scale. Conversely, the Eastern Europe and
Central Asia region reported rates of new infections exceptionally higher
than any other region.
Figure 2: New infections, 2006 (% increase since
2004)
4 Another perspective, Figure 3, shows the growth in the proportion of people living with HIV between 2004 and 2006. The greatest increases (more than 20 percent) were recorded in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and East Asia. Conversely, growth in sub-Saharan Africa (5 percent) was the second-lowest of all ten regions.
5 Four regions fell to a 13 percent to17 percent growth band: Oceania,
Latin America, Middle East and North Africa, and North America.
Figure 3: Growth in people living with HIV,
2004 - 2006
HIV and AIDS in each region
6 The UNAIDS report also presented an overview
for each region. These are summarized in the following paragraphs.
Sub-Saharan Africa
7 Sub-Saharan Africa had by far the
highest number of adults and children living with HIV: 24.7 million,
which is nearly 63 percent of the world total. The number had increased
by almost 5 percent since 2004.
8 Similarly, sub-Saharan Africa had by far the highest number of adults and children newly infected with HIV in 2006: 2.8 million, 65 percent of the world total, and an increase of almost 8 percent since 2004. Sub-Saharan Africa also had by far the highest number of adult and child deaths in 2006 due to HIV: 2.1 million, or more than 72 percent of the world total and an increase of almost 5 percent since 2004.
Middle East and North Africa
9 The Middle East and North
Africa had 460,000 adults and children living with HIV, a 15 percent
increase since 2004. The number of adults and children newly infected
with HIV in 2006 was 68,000, an increase of 15 percent since 2004. The
number of adult and child deaths in 2006 due to HIV was 36,000, an increase
of 9 percent by comparison with 2004.
South and South-East Asia
10 South and South-East Asia
had the second highest number of adults and children living with HIV:
7.8 million, an increase of 8 percent by comparison with 2004. The number
of adults and children newly infected with HIV in 2006 was 860,000, an
increase of almost 12 percent over 2004. The number of adult and child
deaths in 2006 due to HIV was 590,000, an increase of almost 16 percent
by comparison with 2004.
East Asia
11 East Asia had 750,000 adults and children
living with HIV, an increase of 21 percent by comparison with 2004. The
number of adults and children newly infected with HIV in 2006 was 100,000,
11 percent more than in 2004. The number of adult and child deaths in
2006 due to HIV was 43,000, an increase of 30 percent by comparison with
2004.
Oceania
12 Oceania had 81,000 adults and children
living with HIV, an increase of almost 13 percent by comparison with
2004. The number of adults and children newly infected with HIV in 2006
was 7,100, a decrease of 11 percent by comparison with 2004. The number
of adult and child deaths in 2006 due to HIV was 4,000, an increase of
almost 38 percent by comparison with 2004.
Latin America
13 Latin America had 1.7 million adults
and children living with HIV, an increase of 13 percent over 2004. The
number of adults and children newly infected with HIV in 2006 was 140,000,
an increase of almost 8 percent by comparison with 2004. The number of
adult and child deaths in 2006 due to HIV was 65,000, 23 percent more
than in 2004.
Caribbean
14 The Caribbean had 250,000 adults and children
living with HIV, an increase of 4 percent by comparison with 2004. The
number of adults and children newly infected with HIV in 2006 was 27,000,
an increase of 8 percent by comparison with 2004. The number of adult
and child deaths in 2006 due to HIV was 19,000, a decrease of 10 percent
by comparison with 2004.
Eastern Europe and Central Asia
15 Eastern Europe and
Central Asia had 1.7 million adults and children living with HIV, an
increase of 21 percent by comparison with 2004. The number of adults
and children newly infected with HIV in 2006 was 270,000, nearly 69 percent
more than in 2004. The number of adult and child deaths in 2006 due to
HIV was 84,000, 75 percent more than in 2004.
Western and Central Europe
16 Western and Central Europe
had 740,000 adults and children living with HIV, an increase of almost
6 percent by comparison with 2004. The number of adults and children
newly infected with HIV in 2006 was 22,000, no change by comparison with
2004. The number of adult and child deaths in 2006 due to HIV was 12,000,
again no change by comparison with 2004.
North America
17 North America had 1.4 million adults
and children living with HIV, an increase of 17 percent by comparison
with 2004. The number of adults and children newly infected with HIV
in 2006 was 43,000, showing no change since 2004. The number of adult
and child deaths in 2006 due to HIV was 18,000, again no change by comparison
with 2004.
The adult prevalence of HIV
18 There is another dimension
to the regional summaries above: the adult prevalence of HIV. The worldwide
average is 1 percent. This is vastly exceeded by sub-Saharan Africa,
with 5.9 percent. The worldwide average is also exceeded by the Caribbean,
with 1.2 percent.
19 Several regions fall within the range 0.5 percent – 0.9 percent: South and South-East Asia (0.6 percent), Latin America (0.5 percent), Eastern Europe and Central Asia (0.9 percent), and North America (0.8 percent).
20 The remaining regions consist of the Middle East and Northern Africa (0.2 percent), East Asia (0.1 percent), Oceania (0.4 percent), and Western and Central Europe (0.3 percent).
© CGIAR Gender & Diversity
Program 2006