HIV epidemic in South Africa

One of the main problems in sub-Saharan Africa is the HIV/AIDS epidemic that began in the early 90s. Some of the countries seriously affected by the disease are Swaziland, Losotho, Botswana, and South Africa. Below is a map that shows HIV prevalence among people aged 15-49 in these African countries.



In order to understand the problem, it's important to make a distinction between HIV and AIDS. The UNAIDS organization defines HIV as "a virus that weakens the immune system, ultimately leading to AIDS." As of 2017, the percentage of people affected in South Africa was estimated to be 17.2%, and the number of deaths from AIDS was 126,755. Most of these people are women and gay men. While there are awareness campaigns and organizations, and the government has introduced a few STD programmes to the country, the stigma surrounding HIV is an important issue that needs to be tackled. Sexual violence and local attitudes towards women also contribute to the spread of the epidemic. However, South Africa has the largest HIV treatment programme in the world, which means that a significant amount of people with the virus are receiving anti-retroviral treatment. In addition to offering treatment of the virus, the government should implement effective measures for its prevention, such as better regulations in the manufacturing of contraceptives.

Sources:
https://ourworldindata.org/hiv-aids#empirical-view
http://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/southafrica

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