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You are here : Home/ AIDS Zone/ Epidemic Introduction - AIDS

Epidemic Introduction - AIDS

Introduction

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed 3.1 million [2.8–3.6 million] lives in 2005; more than half a million (570 000) were children.

The total number of people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reached its highest level: an estimated 40.3 million [36.7–45.3 million] people are now living with HIV. Close to 5 million people were newly infected with the virus in 2005.

There is ample evidence that HIV does yield to determined and concerted interventions. Sustained efforts in diverse settings have helped bring about decreases in HIV incidence among men who have sex with men in many Western countries, among young people in Uganda, among sex workers and their clients in Thailand and Cambodia, and among injecting drug users in Spain and Brazil. Now there is new evidence that prevention programmes initiated some time ago are finally helping to bring down HIV prevalence in Kenya and Zimbabwe, as well as in urban Haiti.

The number of people living with HIV has increased in all but one region in the past two years. In the Caribbean, the second-most affected region in the world, HIV prevalence overall showed no change in 2005, compared with 2003.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains hardest-hit, and is home to 25.8 million [23.8–28.9 million] people living with HIV, almost one million more than in 2003. Two thirds of all people living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa, as are 77% of all women with HIV (see pages 17-30). An estimated 2.4 million [2.1–2.7 million] people died of HIV-related illnesses in this region in 2005, while a further 3.2 million [2.8–3.9 million] became infected with HIV.

Growing epidemics are underway in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (see pages 45-53), and in East Asia. In the former, the number of people living with HIV has increased by one quarter (to 1.6 million) since 2003, and the number of AIDS deaths almost doubled (to 62 000) in the same period. In East Asia, the number of people living with HIV in 2005 increased by one fifth (to 870 000), compared with two years earlier.

The increase in the proportion of women being affected by the epidemic continues. In 2005, 17.5 million [16.2–19.3 million] women were living with HIV—one million more than in 2003. Thirteen and a half million [12.5–15.1 million] of those women live in sub-Saharan Africa. The widening impact on women is apparent also in South and South-East Asia (where almost two million women now have HIV) and in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Regional HIV and AIDS statistics and features,2003 and 2005

	Adults and children living with HIV	Adults and childrennewly infected with HIV	Adult prevalence(%)*	Adult and child deathsdue to AIDS
Sub-Saharan Africa
2005	25.8 million [23.8–28.9 million]	3.2 million [2.8–3.9 million]	7.2 [6.6–8.0]	2.4 million [2.1–2.7 million]
2003	24.9 million [23.0–27.9 million]	3.0 million [2.7–3.7 million]	7.3 [6.7–8.1]	2.1 million [1.9–2.4 million]
North Africa and Middle East
2005	510 000 [230 000–1.4 million]	67 000 [35 000–200 000]	0.2 [0.1–0.7]	58 000 [25 000–145 000]
2003	500 000 [200 000–1.4 million]	62 000 [31 000–200 000]	0.2 [0.1–0.7]	55 000 [22 000–140 000]
South and South-East Asia
2005	7.4 million [4.5–11.0 million]	990 000 [480 000–2.4 million]	0.7 [0.4–1.0]	480 000 [290 000–740 000]
2003	6.5 million [4.0–9.7 million]	840 000 [410 000–2.0 million]	0.6 [0.4–0.9]	390 000 [240 000–590 000]
East Asia
2005	870 000 [440 000–1-4 million]	140 000 [42 000–390 000]	0.1 [0.05–0.2]	41 000 [20 000–68 000]
2003	690 000 [350 000–1.1 million]	100 000 [33 000–300 000]	0.1 [0.04–0.1]	22 000 [11 000–37 000]
Oceania
2005	74 000 [45 000–120 000]	8200 [2400–25 000]	0.5 [0.2–0.7]	3600 [1700–8200]
2003	63 000 [38 000–99 000]	8900 [2600–27 000]	0.4 [0.2–0.6]	2000 [910–4900]
Latin America
2005	1.8 million [1.4–2.4 million]	200 000 [130 000–360 000]	0.6 [0.5–0.8]	66 000 [52 000–86 000]
2003	1.6 million [1.2–2.1 million]	170 000 [120 000–310 000]	0.6 [0.4–0.8]	59 000 [46 000–77 000]
Caribbean
2005	300 000 [200 000–510 000]	30 000 [17 000–71 000]	1.6 [1.1–2.7]	24 000 [16 000–40 000]
2003	300 000 [200 000–510 000]	29 000 [17 000–68 000]	1.6 [1.1–2.7]	24 000 [16 000–40 000]
Eastern Europe and Central Asia
2005	1.6 million [990 000–2.3 million]	270 000 [140 000–610 000]	0.9 [0.6–1.3]	62 000 [39 000–91 000]
2003	1.2 million [740 000–1.8 million]	270 000 [120 000–680 000]	0.7 [0.4–1.0]	36 000 [24 000–52 000]
Western and Central Europe
2005	720 000 [570 000–890 000]	22 000 [15 000–39 000]	0.3 [0.2–0.4]	12 000<15 000
2003	700 000 [550 000–870 000]	20 000 [13 000–37 000]	0.3 [0.2–0.4]	12 000<15 000
North America
2005	1.2 million [650 000–1.8 million]	43 000 [15 000–120 000]	0.7 [0.4–1.1]	18 000 [9 000–30 000]
2003	1.1 million [570 000–1.8 million]	43 000 [15 000–120 000]	0.7 [0.3–1.1]	18 000 [9 000–30 000]
TOTAL
2005	40.3 million [36.7–45.3 million]	4.9 million [4.3–6.6 million]	1.1 [1.0–1.3]	3.1 million [2.8–3.6 million]
2003	37.5 million [34.0–41.9 million]	4.6 million [4.0–6.0 million]	1.1 [1.0–1.2]	2.8 million [2.5–3.1 million]

Regional HIV statistics and features for women, 2003 and 2005

	Number of women (15–49) living with HIV	%of adults (15–49) living with HIV who are women
AsiaSub-Saharan Africain
2005	13.5 million [12.5–15.1 million]	57
2003	13.1 million [12.1–14.6 million]	57
South and South-East Asia
2005	1.9 million [1.1–2.8 million]	26
2003	1.6 million [950 000–2.4 million]	25
East AsiaWestern
2005	160 000 [82 000–260 000	18
2003	120 000 [59 000–190 000]	17
Oceania
2005	39 000 [20 000–62 000]	55
2003	27 000 [14 000–43 000]	44
Latin America
2005	580 000 [420 000–770 000]	32
2003	510 000 [370 000–680 000]	32
Caribbean
2005	140 000 [88 000–250 000]	50
2003	140 000 [87 000–250 000]	50
Eastern Europe and Central Asia
2005	440 000 [300 000–620 000]	28
2003	310 000 [210 000–430 000]	26
Western and Central Europe
2005	190 000 [140 000–240 000]	27
2003	180 000 [150 000–220 000	27
North America
2005	300 000 [150 000–440 000]	25
2003	270 000 [130 000–400 000]	25
TOTAL
2005	17.5 million [16.2–19.3 million]	46
2003	16.5 million [15.2–18.2 million]	47
Source : AIDS epidemic update December 2005, UNAIDS/05.19E - Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and World Health Organization (WHO) 2005