HIV and AIDS Statistics: Local and Global

The prevalence of HIV remains high despite medical and technological advancements in diagnosis and treatment. Fact remains that HIV is still one of the most commonly transmitted sexual diseases, and the one that remains fetal in most cases. According to the UN and as reported in 2013, every day, nearly 6,300 people contract HIV which is about 262 new infections every hour; 260,000 under the age of 15. In 2012, an estimated 2.3 million people were newly infected with HIV and 1.6 million people died from AIDS. As of the latest statistics, more than 35 million people now live with HIV/AIDS, of whom 3.3 million are under the age of 15.HIV infections happen fast and if no treatment is offered progress in a matter of 1 year to the terminal disease of AIDS with a fatal outcome. Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 75 million people have contracted HIV and nearly 36 million have died of HIV-related causes.

HIV Statistics, Global:

While HIV and AIDS have become a global issue, HIV statistics shows certain countries with sub regions remain the biggest focus with the highest numbers of newly contracted HIV infections and AIDS victims.

Africa and its sub regions still remain the area with the highest numbers of HIV infected and AIDS diseased individuals. More than two-thirds (70 percent) of all people living with HIV, 25 million, live in sub-Saharan Africa—including 88 percent of the world’s HIV-positive children. In 2012, an estimated 1.6 million people in the region became newly infected. An estimated 1.2 million adults and children died of AIDS, accounting for 75 percent of the world’s AIDS deaths in 2012. Approximately 260,000 people are living with HIV in North Africa and the Middle East and an estimated 32,000 people became newly infected in 2012. An estimated 17,000 adults and children died of AIDS.After Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Eastern Europe remain the regions with the highest numbers of newly diagnosed HIV patients and AIDS deaths. Asia and the Pacific collectively account for 5 million individuals to the total count of HIV/AIDS patients. The Caribbean contributes with 250,000 HIV/AIDS infected individuals to the total world count of HIV victims.The total numbers of newly diagnosed HIV individuals gradually decrease from the aforementioned countries over South and Central America to North America and Western Europe. In 2012, there were 29,000 new cases of HIV, bringing the number of people living with HIV in Western and Central Europe to 860,000. An estimated 7,600 people in these regions died of AIDS in 2012.

HIV Statistics, Local:

The statistics in the United States also reflects a high number of newly diagnosed HIV cases per year. According to the CDC estimates “1,144,500 persons aged 13 years and older are living with HIV infection, including 180,900 (15.8%) who are unaware of their infection. Over the past decade, the number of people living with HIV has increased, while the annual number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable. Still, the pace of new infections continues at far too high a level— particularly among certain groups.” And although comparison studies over a time period of two year have shown a decrease in the numbers of newly with HIV diagnosed women, especially African American women, the numbers seem still to be very high in African American and homosexual men of all ethnical groups.

HIV/AIDS remains one of the most prevalent and deadliest sexually transmitted diseases. While diagnosis and palliative treatment have made great progress, a cure for the disease remains still pending. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention estimates the numbers of newly with HIV infected individuals to be about 50,000 a year. One major issue of HIV prevention(Read more about HIV prevention) remains unawareness of the infected individuals who unconsciously help to spread the disease; about 16% of the 1.2 million HIV infected individuals are not aware of their positive status. With these highly alarming numbers, prevention of infection transmission remains the most powerful and effective way of disease control.

You can read more about what HIV is, How it is transmitted, HIV symptoms and stages and HIV Prevention in our previous posts.