This article is part ofHealth Divide: HIV, a destination in our Health Divide series.
HIV disproportionately impacts low- and middle-income countries.
Of the 4,500 people who contract HIV every day in the world, 59% live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Verywell / Mayya Agapova
Verywell / Mayya Agapova
The factors that drive the HIV epidemic are becoming increasingly understood.
This article will look at the state of HIV/AIDS around the world.
Progress in global prevention of HIV remains far too slow.
Despite advances in HIV research, HIV continues to be a major public health issue around the world.
This is due to continuing public health efforts in HIV prevention, early recognition, and treatment.
However, progress has been unequal among and within countries.
Also, the pace of decline has varied widely by age, sex, and religion.
Black women also carry the largest burden of HIV globally.
But the most troubling statistic is the number of preventable deaths brought on by HIV/AIDS.
Only 84% of all people living with HIV knew their HIV status in 2020.
This means that 16% or 6.1 million people did not know that they were living with HIV.
Recap
Rates of HIV diagnoses and deaths have consistently fallen over the past decade worldwide.
On one hand, the disease burden of HIV is decreasing.
These realities have the potential of derailing the worlds goal of achieving the three zeros by 2030.
Goals set to reduce new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths globally by 2020 were not met.
HIV Facts: Continents
The continent of Africa has been hit hardest by the HIV epidemic.
The remaining 20% are spread over the rest of the world.
Differences in the socioeconomic determinants of health, such as poverty, contribute greatly to global disparities.
Interventions aimed at groups disproportionately impacted have helped, but interventions targeting social inequalities continue to lag.
This reduces the risk of COVID-19 complications and may improve how well the COVID-19 vaccine works.
The initial COVID-19 response has been eerily similar to the initial response to HIV.
Therefore, additional investments are needed to properly identify and prioritize those who need critical lifesaving treatment.
Policies should ensure access for women and the most vulnerable, poor, and marginalized populations.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) prevents the HIV virus from replicating.
This suppresses the virus in those infected, extending their lifespan and helping to prevent transmission.
Additional investment is needed to get ART to every person living with HIV worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
By 2019, 1.7% of deaths around the world were because of HIV/AIDS.
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