AIDS Facts

The history AIDS and HIV has puzzled scientists ever since the illness first came to light in the early 1980s. For over twenty years it has been the subject of fierce debate and the cause of countless arguments, with everything from a promiscuous flight attendant to a suspect vaccine program being blamed. So what is the truth? Just where did it come from? And is there a cure for AIDS?

 

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that leads to AIDS. It was originated in non-human primates in sub-Saharan Africa and was transferred to humans during the late 19th or early 20th century. Since its origin, aids in Africa have been growing by large numbers day by day. Africa is inhabited by just over 12% of the world's population and still the AIDS statistics in the region estimated to have more than 60% of the infected population.

Global HIV/AIDS Statistics

 

Who wouldn’t know about human immunodeficiency virus or HIV? Almost all countries around the world have HIV patients. According to UNAIDS report 2008, there are now about 33 million individuals (0.5% of world population) are infected with HIV. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the scourge of the infection was really devastating, 35% of HIV infections and 38% of AIDS deaths in 2007 occurred in that sub region. Other countries also have notably high infection rates.

 

Currently, an estimated 33 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS (0.5% of the world population or one out of every 200 people), 45% are those that are aged between 15-24 years. 85% of the total figures are those who got this through heterosexual transformation. In the US, male-to-male sexual contacts account for new diagnoses, along with intravenous drug abuse. Many infected individuals are not aware that they already have HIV and so they are not diagnosed immediately. Women represent half of all people living with HIV/AIDS, and men who have sex with men (MSM) are 19 times more likely to be infected with HIV than the general population. The proportion has continued to rise in the recent years. The chart below gives the figures of the HIV epidemic according to the regional distribution, 2007 (15-49, adults).

 

 

Regional Distribution, HIV/AIDS (15-49, adults)

 

Region

Registered Infections

New infections

Growth(%)

Deaths due to AIDS

Sub-Saharan Africa

22.0 million

1.9 million

5.0%

1.5 million

South/Southeast Asia

4.2 million

330,000

0.3%

340,000

EasternEU/Central Asia

1.5 million

110,000

0.8%

58,000

Latin America

1.7 million

140,000

0.5%

63,000

North America

1.2 million

54,000

0.6%

23,000

East Asia

740,000

52,000

0.1%

40,000

Western/Central Europe

730,000

27,000

0.3%

8,000

Middle East/North Africa

380,000

40,000

0.3%

27,000

Caribbean

230,000

20,000

1.1%

14,000

Oceania

74,000

13,000

0.4%

1,000

Global

32.9 million

 2.7 million

 0.8%

2.0 million

 

Source
UNAIDS/WHO, 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, July 2008

 

Women, Children, Young People and HIV/AIDS (adults 15+)

 

Region

Percentage
Adults Female

Children (<15)

Growth (%)
young women
(15-24)

Growth (%)
young men
(15-24)

Sub-Saharan Africa

59%

1.8 million

 3.2%

1.1%

South/Southeast Asia

37%

140,000

 0.5%

0.3%

East.EU/Central Asia

31%

12,000

 0.1%

0.9%

Latin America

32%

44,000

 0.2%

0.7%

North America

21%

4,400

 0.7%

0.6%

East Asia

27%

7,800

 <0.1%

<0.1%

Western/Central Europe

27%

1,300

 0.2%

0.2%

Middle East/N. Africa

54%

26,000

 0.3%

0.1%

Caribbean

50%

11,000

 0.4%

0.5%

Oceania

30%

1,100

0.2%

0.3%

Global

50%

2.0 million

0.6%

0.4%

 

Sources

 

Despite the bad news about the increasing number of human immunodeficiency virus infections, there are also some improvements, especially in the cases of infected children. This is due to the early testing and treatment of infected mothers. A uniform testing guideline is also being followed for the distribution of blood products.

 

According to UNAIDS report of 2008, The United States of America accounted for an estimated 1.2 million of the 2.0 million people living with HIV in North America, and in Western and Central Europe in 2007. Overall in those regions, 81 000 people were newly infected with HIV in 2007. Comparatively few people around 31 000 died of AIDS last year. This number includes all people who have ever been diagnosed with an AIDS-defining condition and are believed to be alive, including many people who have recovered their health by taking antiretroviral therapy.

 

HIV/AIDS Distribution by Ethnicity

The chart below shows the ethnicities of these people, revealing that black Americans have been disproportionately affected.

 

 

AIDS/HIV Distribution by Ethnicity

 

AIDS Diagnoses and Deaths

Thorough out its initial phase there were rapid increases in the number of cases and deaths of people with AIDS. Cases peaked in 1993, and then declined. The most dramatic drops in both cases and deaths began in 1996, with the widespread use of combination antiretroviral therapy.

 

 

AIDS Diagnoses and Deaths

 

 

References

The information contained in the statistics section has been excerpted from the following sources:


1- Report of global AIDS epidemic 2008 by United Nation
2- http://www.avert.org