HIV/AIDS SITUATTION

Global Burden

Worldwide, 39.5 million people are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS, 17.7 million are women and 2.3 million are children.

Of all HIV/AIDS sufferers, during 2006, an estimated:

1. 3.8 million are newly-infected adults
2. 530 000 are newly-infected children
3. 2.4 million adult deaths
4. 380 000 child deaths

The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to grow worldwide. Currently, it accounts for the highest number of deaths by any single infectious agent.

1. About 95% of all HIV infections occur in low- and middle-income countries.
2. The highest burden of HIV/AIDS is in Sub-Saharan Africa, followed by South-East Asia.
3. One fifth of the HIV-infected people of the world live in Asia.
4. Young people (15-25 years) account for half of all new HIV infections.

Burden in South-East Asia

An estimated 7.2 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in the Region, 2 million are women and 120 000 are children.

Of these, during 2006, an estimated:

1. 730 000 are newly-infected adults
2. 39 000 are newly-infected children
3. 520 000 adult deaths
4. 26 000 child deaths

Estimations by UNAIDS/WHO, December 2006

The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to grow worldwide. Currently, it accounts for the highest number of deaths by any single infectious agent.

1. About 95% of all HIV infections occur in low- and middle-income countries.
2. The highest burden of HIV/AIDS is in Sub-Saharan Africa, followed by South-East Asia.
3. One fifth of the HIV-infected people of the world live in Asia.
4. Young people (15-25 years) account for half of all new HIV infections.
5. South-East Asia has the second-highest number of HIV-infected persons (7.2 million) followed by Sub-Saharan Africa.
6. Although the overall HIV prevalence is low, the large population of the Region makes the magnitude of the HIV epidemic (in terms of the numbers of infected persons) huge.
7. HIV epidemics are largely concentrated among population sub-groups with high-risk behaviours, namely, sex workers and their clients, injecting drug users, and men who have sex with men.
8. Four countries - India, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Thailand - account for the majority of the estimated HIV burden.
9. India has the highest burden with an estimated 5.2 million (15-49 years) persons living with HIV/AIDS.
10. In India, HIV prevalence in some settings is 52% among sex workers and similar high rates are reported among injecting drug users in the North-East.
11. Indonesia is showing an alarming increase in HIV prevalence among injecting drug users - up to 50% in some sites in urban and rural areas.
12. In Myanmar, the HIV prevalence among injecting drug users and sex workers remains high at 34% and 32% respectively.
13. In Thailand, the HIV prevalence among injecting drug users has remained at levels around 40% since the beginning of the epidemic. Recent data pertaining to men having sex with men in Thailand show that the HIV prevalence among this group in urban areas is as high as 28% whereas HIV prevalence among sex workers has decreased to less than 6%.