Global Statistics - back to top of page

As of July 1996, nearly 1.4 million AIDS cases - in adults and children - had been reported through the World Health Organization (WHO) to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS). This represents approximately a 19% increase from the 1,169,811 cases reported by June 30, 1995 Allowing for under-diagnosis, incomplete reporting, and reporting delay, UNAIDS estimates that over 7.7 million AIDS cases have occurred worldwide since the pandemic began

Due to the average 10 year period between HIV infection and the onset of AIDS, the number of AIDS case may merely reflect the trend of HIV infection of a decade ago. The global trends for HIV infection are estimated by UNAIDS to be 3.1 million new cases during 1996. Breaking this figure down into a daily composite gives us over 8,500 new infections daily - 7,500 adults and 1,000 children.

UNAIDS estimates that about 21 million adults, and more than 800 thousand children are currently living with HIV / AIDS. Of adult cases, 90% are in developing countries. Among children, HIV / AIDS prevalence is 35 times greater in the developing world than industrialized nations.

Current Global Trends

The Majority of new adult HIV infections is among 15-24 year olds.

Between 75 and 85 out of every 100 HIV positive adults have been infected through unprotected sexual intercourse, with heterosexual, (male - female) intercourse accounting for over 70 cases and homosexual, (male-male) intercourse accounting for approximately 5 to 10 cases.

Transfusion of HIV infected blood and the sharing of HIV infected injection equipment by drug users account for 3-5%, and 5-10% of all adult global infections respectively.

Among HIV positive children, more than 90% were infected by their mothers, (vertical transmission) before or during birth, or through breast feeding. Roughly one third of mother-to-child transmission occurs through breast feeding. Therefore, breast-feeding is not recommended for women with HIV in industrialized countries, where safer nutritional alternatives are readily available.  IN developing countries, however, psychosocial, and nutritional benefits and acquired natural defense against other diseases associated with breast-feeding have to be weight against the risk of HIV transmission through breast feeding. UNAIDS has issued an interim statement emphasizing the need to support women and families to make an informed decision with regards to breast feeding, according to their own situation.

All children of HIV-infected parents, regardless of their individual HIV status, are severely affected by the disease. UNAIDS currently estimates that over 9 million children under age 15 have lost their mothers to AIDS, and one in three children orphaned bye HIV / AIDS is younger than 5 years old. Once again the burden lies within developing nations, with 90% of maternal orphans living in sub-Saharan Africa.