The Face of HIV amongst Africans

The face of AIDS in West Africa

AIDS has left virtually no country, rich or poor, untouched.
Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. An estimated 22.4 million people are living with HIV in the region - around two thirds of the global total. In 2008 around 1.4 million people died from AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and 1.9 million people became infected with HIV. Unlike other regions, the majority of people (61%) living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa are women. (UNAIDS 2007).
Since the beginning of the epidemic more than 14 million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS.
The children of sub-Saharan Africa have been hardest hit by AIDS. They account for more than 85 per cent of all children under 15 living with the disease.
AIDS is threatening children as never before. Children under 15 account for 1 in 6 global AIDS-related deaths and 1 in 7 new global HIV infections. A child under 15 dies of an AIDS-related illness every minute of every day, and a young person aged 15–24 contracts HIV every 15 seconds.

The number of new HIV cases in the state increased by 13 percent in 2009, marking a 17-year high, according to a new preliminary report from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). There were 368 HIV cases reported in 2009, compared with 326 cases in 2008 and 325 cases in 2007.
"This increase in cases tells us that HIV/AIDS remains a significant health threat in Minnesota, and we need to take steps to strengthen our prevention efforts," said Dr. Sanne Magnan, Minnesota Commissioner of Health.
"We haven’t seen the annual number of reported HIV cases at this level since 1992," said Peter Carr, manager of the HIV and Sexually Transmitted Disease Section at MDH. "The increase is driven primarily by a large increase among males 15 to 24 years of age."

There were 95 cases reported among 15 to 24 year olds in 2009; 59 cases in the same age group in 2008. Of the 95 cases in 2009, 77 of them (81 percent) were males.
Among males, male-to-male sex was the main risk factor for 88 percent.
Of young male cases, 45 percent were white, 39 percent African American, 11 percent Latino, 3 percent Asian, 1 percent African-born, and 1 percent multi-racial.
Although the number of new cases in women slightly decreased to 73, women of color were overrepresented, accounting for 74 percent of new female cases.
The new HIV cases remained concentrated within the Twin Cities metropolitan area, with increases reported in St. Paul/Ramsey, Anoka and Dakota counties.