HIV/AIDS: A global
picture
HIV/AIDS is
believed to have started in the mid-to-late 1970s, but it was not until the
1980s that HIV/AIDS data started to be collected. This illness was first noticed
in the U.S., and by early 1980s cases of HIV/AIDS were also discovered in
Europe, Africa, South America, North America and
Australia.
Since the time
HIV/AIDS was discovered, this pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide, especially
in sub-Saharan Africa. According to UNAIDS report of 2006, 39.5 million people
in the world were living with HIV/AIDS, a figure 2.4 million more when compared
with the 2004 figure. This report indicates that about two thirds of all people
in the world living with HIV/AIDS (i.e. 24.7 million) are in sub-Saharan Africa.
Globally, it appears that women, who constitute one of the vulnerable groups in
most societies, are heavily affected by this pandemic. About 17.7 million women
world wide were living with HIV/AIDS by 2006.
From early 1980s
to date HIV/AIDS has claimed, and continues to claim, millions of lives. It also
causes suffering to many people, and in general, people and their communities
have been affected by HIV/AIDS psychologically, socially and economically. The
pervasiveness of this pandemic and its effects in some parts of the world have prompted governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders to
begin responding to this crisis. Maryknoll missioners are among those playing a
role in the fight against HIV/AIDS. They are currently working with HIV/AIDS in
14 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Maryknollers are involved in HIV/AIDS programs ranging from
prevention education, voluntary counseling and testing for HIV, anti-retroviral
treatment, palliative care, to impact mitigation.
Below are
HIV/AIDS statistics for countries in which Maryknoll missioners work with
HIV/AIDS:
|
Country
|
Population
(estimated)
|
Number of
people living with HIV/AIDS
|
HIV/AIDS –
Adult prevalence rate
|
Additional
information
|
|
I.
AFRICA
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
Kenya
|
33,829,592
|
1.3
million
|
6.1
percent
|
740,000
women aged from 15 to 49 years live with HIV/AIDS.
150,000
children live with HIV/AIDS
1.1 million
children are orphans due to this pandemic.
|
|
2.
Tanzania
|
36,766,356
|
1.4
million
|
6.5
percent
|
710,000
women aged from 15 to 49 years live with HIV/AIDS.
110,000
children live with HIV/AIDS
About 1.1
million children are orphans due to HIV/AIDS
|
|
3.
Zimbabwe
|
12,236,805
|
1.7 million
(2005 est)
|
20.1
percent
|
59 percent
of all HIV/AIDS cases are women. 160,000 children live with HIV/AIDS (2005
est.). Total number of orphans is 1.1 million.
|
|
4.
Namibia
|
2,044,147
(2006
est.)
|
230,000
|
19.6
percent
|
130,000
women and 17,000 children live with HIV/AIDS.
85,000
children were orphaned due to this pandemic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
II.
ASIA
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
China
|
1,321,851,888 (July 2007
est.)
|
840,000
(2003 est.)
|
0.1 percent
(2003 est.)
|
|
|
2.
Cambodia
|
13,995,904
|
170,000
(2003 est.)
|
2.6 percent
(2003 est.)
|
|
|
3.
Thailand
|
65,068,149
|
570,000
(2003 est.)
|
1.5 percent
(2003 est.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
III.LATIN
AMERICA
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
Bolivia
|
9,119,152
(July 2007 est.)
|
4,900 (2003
est.)
|
0.1 percent
(2003 est.)
|
|
|
2. El
Salvador
|
6,948,073
(July 2007 est.)
|
29,000
(2003 est.)
|
0.7 percent
(2003 est.)
|
|
|
3.
Guatemala
|
12,728,111
(July 2007 est.)
|
78,000
(2003 est.)
|
1.1 percent
(2003 est.)
|
|
|
4.
Panama
|
3,242,173
(July 2007 est.)
|
16,000
(2003 est.)
|
0.9 percent
(2003 est.)
|
|
|
5.
Peru
|
28,674,757
(July 2007 est.)
|
82,000
(2003 est.)
|
0.5 percent
(2003 est.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: CIA World
Factbook