HIV and AIDS in Africa--Infomation supplied by the World Health Organisation (WHO), July 2008

Sub-Sharan Africa is more affected by HIV and AIDS then any other region in the world. AN estimated 22 million people were livnig with HIV at the end of 2007 and approximately 1.9 million aditional people were infected with HIV during that year. In Just the past year (2007), the AIDS epidemic in Africa has claimed the lives of an estimated 1.5million people in this region. More than 11.5 million children have been orphaned by AIDS.

The extent of the HIv and AIDS crisis is only n/ow becoming clear in many countries, as increasing numbers of people with HIV are becoming ill. In the absence of a massively expanded programme of prevention, treatment and care efforts, it is expected that the AIDS death toll in Sub-Sharan Africa will continue to rise. This means that the impact of  the AIDS epidemic these societies will be felt most strongly in the course of the next ten years and beyond. It's social and economic consequences are already widely felt, not only in the health sector but also industry, education, agriculture, transport, human resources and the economy in general

How are different countries in Africa affected ?

Both Hiv prevalence rates and the numbers of people from AIDS vary greatly between countries.In Somalia and Senegal the HIV prevalence rate is under 1% of the aduly population, whereas in Nambia, South Africa,, Zambia and Zimbabwe around 15-20% of adults are infected with HIV

In three Southern African countries the national adult prevalence rate has risen higher than was thought possible and now exceeds 20%, Botswana (23.9%), Lesotho (23.2%), Swaziland (26.1%)

West Africa has been less affected by AIDS, but HIV prevalence rates in some countries are creeping up. HIV prevalence is expected to exceed 5% in Cameroon (5.1%) and Gabon (5.9%)

Until recently the national HIV prevalence rate has remained relatively low in Nigeria, the most populous country in Sub-Sharan Africa, The rate has grown slowly from below 2% in 1993 to 3.1% by the end of 2007, but some tates in Nigeria are already experinecing HIV rates as high as those now found in Cameroon. Already around 2.4 million Nigerians are estimated to be living with HIV

HiV prevalence in East Africa exceeds 5% in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania