Southern Africa Regional Program
The countries of Southern Africa have some of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world, and the region remains the global epicenter of the epidemic. The World Bank has stated that the “hyper” epidemic in the countries within the region is a continental – and global – exception, unlikely to occur elsewhere. According to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, nine countries in Southern Africa continue to bear a disproportionate share of the global AIDS burden: All except Angola have an HIV prevalence greater than 10 percent and have some of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. The region is home to 11.3 million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), an increase of nearly one-third (31 percent) compared to the 8.6 million PLWHA in the region one decade earlier. Approximately 5.6 million of PLWHA currently living in Southern Africa reside in the country of South Africa. In 2009, the region accounted for 34 percent of all PLWHA worldwide and 34 percent of AIDS deaths. Prevalence rates in the region have stabilized in most countries in the region, although a recent surge in new infections has happened in Zimbabwe, linked to ongoing civil and political instability. Heterosexual sex continues to be the dominant mode of transmission.
The USAID Regional HIV/AIDS Program (RHAP), based in Pretoria, South Africa, supports HIV programs in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. RHAP responds to regional priorities on HIV/AIDS, focusing on prevention, human capacity development and capacity building, and partnering with African institutions; promoting knowledge management and the sharing of best practices; and ensuring donor coordination and harmonization. In addition, RHAP provides quality technical assistance through five regional advisors and coordinates additional technical assistance for regional programs as needed.
View the full USAID
HIV/AIDS Regional Health Profile for Southern Africa - February 2011 [PDF, 244KB].
Country Programs in this Region:
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