Knowra HIV/AIDS in Africa HIV/AIDS in Africa HIV/AIDS in Africa encompasses the history, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of HIV infection and AIDS across the continent’s diverse countries and populations.
HIV : A virus that attacks immune cells, especially CD4 T cells, and can cause AIDS without effective treatment. HIV infection is the underlying cause of the epidemic’s health burden.
HIV testing : Tests that determine whether a person has HIV infection, enabling timely treatment and prevention decisions. Diagnosis is the entry point for treatment and partner-protection services.
HIV/AIDS pandemic : The worldwide spread of HIV infection and AIDS, recognized as a global epidemic in the late twentieth century. African epidemics form a major part of the broader global pandemic.
HIV prevalence : The proportion of a population living with HIV at a specified time. Prevalence reveals large differences among countries, regions, and population groups.
HIV-1 subtype C : A genetic subtype of HIV-1 that accounts for most infections in southern Africa and parts of eastern Africa. Its regional dominance distinguishes much of southern Africa’s epidemic from other global regions.
HIV transmission : The spread of HIV through specific bodily fluids, chiefly through sexual contact, blood exposure, and childbirth or breastfeeding. Transmission routes shape prevention priorities across different African settings.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis : Antiretroviral medicines taken by HIV-negative people to prevent infection before possible exposure. PrEP adds a prevention option for people facing substantial exposure risk.
HIV-1 group M : The HIV-1 lineage responsible for most infections worldwide, originating through cross-species transmission from chimpanzees in Central Africa. Its emergence in Central Africa preceded the global pandemic.
HIV incidence : The rate of new HIV infections in a population over a specified period. Incidence tracks ongoing transmission more directly than the accumulated burden measured by prevalence.
HIV-2 : A less transmissible species of HIV concentrated chiefly in West Africa and parts of Europe and India. Its West African distribution and clinical course differ from the continent’s predominant HIV-1 epidemics.
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