Introduction

Approximately 40 million people around the world are currently living with HIV/AIDS. More than 3 million died because of the disease in 2003. AIDS is now considered the leading cause of death and lost years of productive life for adults aged 15-49 worldwide.

Ninety-five percent of people who are infected with HIV live in the developing world, 70 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. Countries in Africa continue to have the highest prevalence rates of HIV infection in the world. In some African countries, well over a third of the population is living with HIV/AIDS. In Swaziland, for example, 38.6 percent of the total population is infected.

Treatment and prevention efforts are making headway in some developing countries around the world, most notably in Brazil, Thailand, Senegal and Uganda, thanks to the introduction of awareness programs, condom distribution and free antiretroviral drugs.

Some 6 million people around the world require antiretroviral drugs, but only 400,000 currently have access to them. The high cost of drugs, even generic drugs that cost as little as $140 per person per year, continues to be a barrier to effective treatment.

This feature shows how many men, women and children live with HIV/AIDS in different regions of the world. It also provides a snapshot of prevention and treatment efforts in 12 countries, highlighting both successes and challenges in the global fight against AIDS.

• HIV/AIDS Across Time
• The Global Impact of HIV/AIDS
• Prevention and Treatment in 12 Showcase Countries

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