Sub-Saharan Africa has the most serious HIV and AIDS epidemic in the world. In 2013, an estimated 24.7 million people were living with HIV, accounting for 71% of the global total. In the same year, there were an estimated 1.5 million new HIV infections and 1.1 million AIDS-related deaths.1
HIV prevalence for the region is 4.7% but varies greatly between regions within sub-Saharan Africa as well as individual countries. For example, Southern Africa is the worst affected region and is widely regarded as the 'epicentre' of the global HIV epidemic. Swaziland has the highest HIV prevalence of any country worldwide (27.4%) while South Africa has the largest epidemic of any country - 5.9 million people are living with HIV. By comparison, HIV prevalence in West and East Africa is low to moderate ranging from 0.5% in Senegal to 6% in Kenya.2
While many countries have large, generalised epidemics, research has shown how groups such as young women and men who have sex with men are particularly at risk of HIV.
