Sixty-Eight Percent of HIV/AIDS Infections Live in One Place
First of all, the United Nations program on HIV and AIDS recently released recalculated numbers on the AIDS epidemic. The new numbers are down more then 6 million then previously thought. The revised number is an estimated 33.2 million people are currently living with HIV.
The majority of these infections are in sub-Saharan Africa. Nearly 68% of HIV infected people live in sub-Saharan Africa. Even more shocking is 76% of all HIV deaths occurred there.
The announcement made by the UNAIDS is good news. It however doesn’t mean we can stop carrying. It’s good to know that 6 million less people are infected with AIDS then we thought. I think it also shows that preventative measures are working around the world.
The bad news is that the disease is concentrated in the mostly black and impoverished countries. It’s easy to think that HIV doesn’t affect you. The statistics of this region really show the problem. Only 10% of men and 12% of women have been tested for HIV. Only 1 out of 10 people is receiving the antiretroviral medication needed to survive with Aids.
It’s obvious that outreach programs aimed at the region are not working. No, doubt these programs are doing good they just aren’t doing enough good. This is mainly due to a lack of interest and funding in the area. More money is needed in the region for education. The locals are still afraid to be tested. I would only have to guess that this is related to their lack of information about the disease.
It’s going to require millions of dollars to launch a full-fledged attack on HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. The people need to be educated, tested and then treated. Hopefully the education part will help prevent farther spread of the disease in the area.
Tags: AIDS, Epidemic, HIV