East and Southern Africa

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East and Southern Africa remains the area most heavily affected by the HIV epidemic. Out of the total number of people living with HIV worldwide in 2009, 34% resided in 10 countries of Southern Africa.

The vast majority of people newly infected with HIV in the region are infected during unprotected heterosexual intercourse. Having unprotected sex with multiple partners remains the greatest risk factor for HIV in the region. New HIV infections among children due to mother-to-child transmission of HIV are also significant in the region.

2012 UNAIDS World AIDS Day Report

UNAIDS launched on 20 November the 2012 global report on the AIDS epidemic and the 2012 World AIDS Day report which outlines some significant progress made in the AIDS response in recent years.

Access the report and related materials

Fact sheet

This fact sheet shows the latest epidemiological trends and key regional dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa.

Fact sheet (UNAIDS, 2012)

Key publications

Securing our future: Report of the Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa An initiative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations (2008)
Male Circumcision: Africa's unprecedented opportunity (UNICEF/WHO/UNAIDS, 2007)

Know your epidemic and responses

Studies from the region:

Analysis of HIV prevention responses and modes of HIV transmission (World Bank/UNAIDS, 2008)
Kenya (World Bank/UNAIDS, 2008)
Lesotho (World Bank/UNAIDS, 2008)
Swaziland (World Bank/UNAIDS, 2008)
Uganda (World Bank/UNAIDS, 2008)

External links

Regional partners

AIDS plus MDGs

At a glance: The AIDS response and Millennium Development Goals Rwanda case study (UNAIDS, 2010)
HIV/AIDS and the health-related Millennium Development Goals: The experience in Ethiopia (Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministry of Health, 2010)

Countries in this region

Find out more about the countries in this region

UNAIDS Regional Support Team

Sheila Tlou: Director, Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa; Read biography

Press centre

21 May 2013: UNAIDS reports more than 7 million people now on HIV treatment across Africa––with nearly 1 million added in the last year—while new HIV infections and deaths from AIDS continue to fall . More

01 February 2013: UNAIDS congratulates Senegal’s President on his election as chair of NEPAD’s Orientation Committee. More

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