Top Ten Countries With HIV
While the number of people newly diagnosed with HIV infection in the world has fallen by about a third since 2000, HIV remains a significant health problem. According to the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, there were almost 37 million people around the world living with HIV/AIDS in 2014.
While the number of people newly diagnosed with HIV infection in the world has fallen by about a third since 2000, HIV remains a significant health problem. According to the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, there were almost 37 million people around the world living with HIV/AIDS in 2014. The spread of HIV encompasses every country, but several sub-Saharan African nations have been the hardest hit, including Swaziland, South Africa and Lesotho. Depending on how the statistics are compiled, the order of the top 10 nations can vary, but these countries have been particularly ravaged by HIV/AIDS.
Swaziland and Lesotho
Swaziland and Lesotho are both small African nations, each home to fewer than 2 million people, according to the Central Intelligence Agency's World Fact Book. These nations are the hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. The Global Burden of Disease report on HIV/AIDS deaths published by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, or IHME, states that in both Swaziland and Lesotho, more than 540 people out of every 100,000 died in 2010 because of the disease.
South Africa
South Africa is home to more than 53 million people. In an article published in the January 2015 issue of "The Lancet," HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death in South Africa in 2013. Another "Lancet" article published in June 2015 noted that HIV/AIDS was also the leading cause of disability in South Africa as of 2013.
Zimbabwe
According to the IHME report, 318 out of every 100,000 people in Zimbabwe died from HIV/AIDS in 2010. That number increased to 520 HIV-caused deaths out of every 100,000 people in 2013, according to a September 2014 study in "The Lancet." HIV was the leading cause of both death and disability in 2013 in Zimbabwe.
Malawi
Malawi is a small African nation of just under 18 million people. Roughly 300 deaths per 100,000 people were caused by HIV/AIDS in 2010, according to IHME. In 2013, HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death and the second leading cause of disability. Between about 350 and 570 new cases of HIV were diagnosed for every 100,000 people in 2013, according to the 2014 "The Lancet" study.
Mozambique
A neighbor of Malawi, Mozambique has over 25 million people living within its borders. Once again, HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death and disability in 2013, according to the two 2015 "The Lancet" studies. Roughly 280 people per 100,000 died of HIV/AIDS in 2010, according to the IHME report.
Zambia
Zambia consists of 15 million people. In 2010, 225 out of every 100,000 people died of HIV/AIDS, according to the IHME. HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death in 2013 and the second leading cause of disability.
Namibia
Namibia is home to just over 2 million people. According to the IHME, roughly 198 people per 100,000 died of HIV/AIDS in 2010. HIV/AIDS was still the leading cause of death in 2013 and the third leading cause of disability. About 120 to 350 new cases of HIV per 100,000 people were reported in 2013, according to the 2014 "The Lancet" study.
Botswana
Botswana is another relatively small country with only 2 million people, but approximately 190 of every 100,000 people died of HIV/AIDS in 2010, according to the IHME. In line with Malawi and Zambia, HIV/AIDS was the second leading cause of disability and the leading cause of death in Botswana in 2013, according to the two 2015 "The Lancet" papers.
Tanzania
Tanzania is a large country on the eastern coast of Africa that has over 50 million inhabitants. In 2013, HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death and the fourth leading cause of disability in Tanzania. According to the IHME report, 181 of every 100,000 people died of HIV/AIDS in 2010.