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AIDS Worldwide

Women around the world are increasingly becoming infected with HIV. In the 1980s, women were only a small group affected by this epidemic, but now are at the center of concern. In 2000, over 14 million women were infected and four million died. Globally, the major route of HIV transmission to women is through sexual contact with men (heterosexual intercourse).

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) explains that HIV/AIDS is spreading among women because of:

• sexual subordination (in many countries men control the sexual relationships between men and women)

• economic subordination (in almost every society, women face discrimination in education, employment, and social status) and

• female biological vulnerability to HIV (women are more likely to get sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and/or transmit them to their unborn babies).

Women and girls around the world often are unable to talk with their sexual partners about abstinence, faithfulness, and use of condoms. They are often stigmatized and blamed for causing AIDS and other STDs. They can even face physical and emotional violence. These attitudes fail to focus on men's equal responsibility to prevent HIV/AIDS; prevent programs from developing services to meet the needs of women; and support research or programs that aim to protect men from women, instead of helping women protect themselves.

People around the world who have HIV also face another growing threat — the disease tuberculosis (TB). TB is the leading killer worldwide of people who die of AIDS — the reason for every 1 in 3 AIDS deaths. TB is a disease caused by bacteria that can hurt any part of the body, but normally hurts the lungs. Right now there are 14 million people co-infected with TB and HIV. TB and HIV co-infection can happen anywhere but hits hardest in very poor areas where people have little access to health services. Click here for more information on TB.

The good news is that organizations such as UNAIDS are working to lower the impact of AIDS on women and girls everywhere. The Global Coalition on Women and AIDS was launched this year. UNAIDS, the U.S. Government's Emergency Plan for AIDS, and the Clinton Foundation also are working together to speed access to HIV care and treatment for both women and men around the world.

Here's a short look at how HIV/AIDS is affecting people around the world (from the UNAIDS/WHO's AIDS Epidemic Update, December 2003 — click here for a full copy of the report

International statistics

• Today, 40 million people are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS. Of these, 37 million are adults and 2.5 million are children under 15.

• An estimated 5 million people acquired the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in 2003, including 4.2 million adults and 700,000 children under 15.

• During 2003, AIDS caused the deaths of an estimated 3 million people, including 2.5 million adults and 500,000 children under 15.

A look at regions Sub-Saharan Africa The Middle East and North Africa Eastern Europe and Central Asia Asia and the Pacific Latin America and the Caribbean North America

Click on the map to choose a region

Sub-Saharan Africa — This is the region of the world that has been most affected by HIV/AIDS. Heterosexual sex is the main way HIV is transmitted here, and women account for almost 60 percent of all HIV infections. There is a growing body of evidence to show that a significant number of infected women have been infected by their husbands or intimate partners. It is estimated that on this continent, 4.1 million people need treatment right now, but only about 70,000 to 100,000 are actually in treatment (only 2%). Over 11 million children under the age of 15 living here have been robbed of one or both parents by HIV/AIDS. Many grandparents who have lost all of their adult children to the disease are left raising their grandchildren, many of whom also are HIV-positive.

The Middle East and North Africa — Although the overall number of cases of HIV in this region is still low compared to other areas, Sudan has been the most affected by HIV/AIDS, and there have been recent outbreaks among injection drug users in some countries. In the past year, it is estimated that 55,000 people got HIV, bringing the total number of people living with the disease to 600,000. AIDS claimed 45,000 lives here in 2003. In southern Sudan, the epidemic is mostly among heterosexuals. Data show a national adult HIV prevalence of more than 2% in Sudan, but conflict in the country is making it hard to track the epidemic, as well as to respond to it. Because there is little data from other countries, serious outbreaks in certain populations may be missed. Also, it appears that many HIV-infected persons are moving between countries, such as from Tunisia to Libya, to seek treatment and/or for drug rehab. In Libya, Baharain, and Iran, a rise in HIV infections among injection drug users is of concern, especially in Iran's prison system. Still, other groups face an increased risk of HIV infection in this region, especially sex workers and men who have sex with men.

Eastern Europe and Central Asia — This region has the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the world. It is estimated that about 230,000 people got HIV in 2003, bringing the total number of people living with the virus to 1.5 million. AIDS claimed an estimated 30,000 lives in the past year. The Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the Baltic States are the worst affected, but HIV continues to spread in Belarus, Moldova and Kazakhstan. More recent epidemics are now in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. About 1 million people ages 15-49 are living with HIV in the Russian Federation. Widespread injection drug use and unsafe sex are driving the epidemics here.

Asia and the Pacific — It is estimated that over 1 million people here got HIV in 2003, bringing the total estimated number of people living with the virus to 7.4 million. AIDS claimed an estimated 500,000 lives here in 2003. The epidemic is spreading into areas and countries where, until recently, there was little or no HIV present - including China, Indonesia, and Viet Nam. Most of these new epidemics are due to injection drug use and through commercial sex. Three Asian countries (Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand) have already been dealing with serious epidemics.

Latin America and the Caribbean — It is estimated that about 200,000 people here got HIV in 2003, bringing the total estimated number of people living with the virus to more than 2 million. At least 100,000 people died of AIDS during this time. The Caribbean is second only to sub-Saharan Africa in terms of HIV prevalence rates. In the Caribbean, most cases are due to heterosexual contact (women having sex with men). But in Puerto Rico, injection drug use seems to be the main cause of the epidemic. The most serious epidemics in this entire region are in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In Haiti, AIDS claims about 30,000 lives a year, leaving about 200,000 children orphaned. Condom use here is very low despite knowledge of HIV/AIDS. In the Dominican Republic, recent prevention efforts appear to have stabilized the number of HIV cases among 15-24 year olds and in pregnant women. But in some cities, HIV cases are as high as 12% among female sex workers. In most of the South American countries, HIV is mostly being transmitted through injection drug use and sex between men (who then transmit it to other female sexual partners). In Central America, most HIV infections seem to be through sex (between men and between heterosexuals).

North America — In the United States, the estimated number of deaths among all people with AIDS in 2002 declined 14% since 1998. While the number of deaths declined among most age groups, it increased slightly among people ages 45-54. At the end of 2002, about 384,906 persons in the United States were living with AIDS. Women in the U.S. are contracting HIV mostly through sexual contact with men. The second most common way is through injection drug use. Women of color, especially African American and Hispanic American/Latina women, are most at risk. HIV- related death also has a great impact on young and middle-aged adults, especially youth of color. In 1999, among black women 25-44 years old, HIV infection was the third leading cause of death. Many of them likely were infected in their teens and twenties. In Canada, at the end of 2001, there were 55,000 people living with HIV/AIDS and less than 500 deaths. The epidemic in Canada has moved from being driven by men who have sex with men to one among injection drug users.

Last Updated: August 2004

For more information about HIV/AIDS around the world, please see the resources below:

Publications

1. Africa's Orphaned Generations (Copyright © UNAIDS) - Today, over 11 million children under the age of 15 living in sub-Saharan Africa have been robbed of one or both parents by HIV/AIDS. Seven years from now, the number is expected to have grown to 20 million. This document reports on the life circumstances of today’s orphans with new data and fresh analyses. It presents the possibility of change – for those already orphaned and for the generation to come – if certain things are done now.
   
   
2. HIV and AIDS in the Americas: An Epidemic with Many Faces (Copyright © UNAIDS) - This report analyses the HIV epidemic in the Americas. It places special focus on Mexico, countries of the Caribbean, Central America, and Brazil. It analyzes behavioral and cultural factors that contribute to the pandemic and suggest how public health officials can better respond to the crisis.
   
   
3. HIV/AIDS (Copyright © UNICEF) - This web site explores the problem of HIV/AIDS among young people across the world. It discusses why HIV/AIDS is such a problem affecting young people, and what needs to be done to protect them. It includes articles on what UNICEF is doing to prevent HIV/AIDS, reports on real programs for young people, and global statistics.
   
   
4.   HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa: Background, Projections, Impacts, and Interventions - This report contains detailed information on the demographics of HIV infection in Southern Africa, with projections of future infections and AIDS cases. It outlines the impact HIV and AIDS has and will have on Africa's population, society and economy. Its final chapter discusses interventions to confront Southern Africa's HIV/AIDS epidemic.
   
   
5.   USAID Global Health: HIV/AIDS - Frequently Asked Questions - This publication shares data about the global HIV/AIDS pandemic such as how many people are estimated to be infected worldwide, how many are women, number of deaths, how fast the pandemic is growing, infection in children, AIDS orphans and more.
   
   
6. What Drives HIV in Asia? (Copyright © FHI) - This report explains the forces that contribute to HIV infection in Asian countries. Research for this report used a Behavior Surveillance System (BSS) to identify risk behaviors and suggest ways to create better prevention strategies in these countries.
   
   
7. WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS Mother-to-Child Policy Guidelines (Copyright © UNAIDS) - This publication is a response to a 1999 report that claimed the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission through exclusive breastfeeding is less likely than previously thought. UNAIDS stands by its original 1997 statement on breastfeeding and HIV.
   
   
8. World AIDS Campaign 2004 (Copyright © UNAIDS) - This Internet site provides information about World AIDS Campaign 2004. The theme for the World AIDS Campaign 2004 is Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS. The year-long campaign, culminating in World AIDS Day on 1 December, seeks to accelerate the global response to HIV and AIDS through a focus on women and girls.
   
   

Organizations

1.   U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
   
   
2. UNAIDS
   
   
3.   USAID Development Experience Clearinghouse
   
   
4. World Health Organization
   
   

= Indicates Federal Resources

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