HIV

 

     HIV/AIDS is an epidemic that has taken tens of millions of lives since it became widespread in the 1980s. It is estimated that 1.2 million people die of AIDS in Africa annually, accounting for a total of 70% of AIDS deaths and HIV cases. This is in spite of the fact that Africa contains roughly 14% of the global population. The rate of HIV infection in Africa is roughly 5% compared to a global average of just 1%. The epidemic is five times worse in sub-Saharan Africa.

     Progress has been made in nations across North and West Africa. However, in South and East Africa, national HIV prevalence rates are as high as 20-30 percent, with South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho among the nations with rates as high as 70% in rural areas. The continentwide rate has been trending downward for 20 years. There has been a recent leveling off, and the progress could be lost if rates continue to climb in these nations.

     The key is to refocus global attention on AIDS in Africa. Doing so would save millions of lives, put the world close to eradicating the virus, and also serve to dispel the "HIV is because of gays" myth that has long served as a barrier for the LGBT2SQIA+ community in the continent.