According to my textbook, most of the new infections worldwide are in people younger than 25 years of age who live in developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa has been hardest hit by HIV. Eastern Europe and central Asia have the world’s fastest growing HIV population. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is found most commonly in the United States, Europe, and Central Africa, whereas HIV-2 is principally seen in West Africa. The difference between the two is that HIV-2 spreads and causes disease more slowly than HIV-1. Both lead to AIDS. Interestingly enough influenza was the last uncontrolled pandemic killer of humans until the advent of AIDS.
This table represents the estimated # of adults and children living with HIV/AIDS, new infections, and deaths at the end of 2002 (just think how much higher the numbers are now 6 years later).
|
|
Living With |
Newly Infected |
Deaths |
|
North America |
980,000 |
45,000 |
15,000 |
|
Sub-Saharan Africa |
29,400,000 |
3,500,000 |
2,400,000 |
|
Eastern Europe & Central Asia |
1,200,000 |
250,000 |
25,000 |
|
East Asia and Pacific |
1,200,000 |
270,000 |
45,000 |
|
South & South East Asia |
6,000,000 |
700,000 |
440,000 |
|
Western Europe |
570,000 |
30,000 |
8,000 |
|
Caribbean |
440,000 |
60,000 |
42,000 |
|
Latin America |
1,500,000 |
150,000 |
60,000 |
|
Australia & New Zealand |
15,000 |
500 |
<100
|
|
Total |
42 million |
5 million |
3.1 million |
