Feature story

Addressing inequalities can decrease HIV prevalence

15 March 2021

The gaps in HIV responses and resulting HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths lie upon faultlines of inequality.

Data from 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa show a positive relationship between HIV prevalence and income disparity. After controlling for education, gender inequality and income per capita, a one-point increase in a country’s 20:20 ratio—which compares how much richer the top 20% of a given population is to the bottom 20% of that population—corresponds to a two-point increase in HIV prevalence.

HIV prevalence and income inequality, sub-Saharan African countries, 2019

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