10. Uganda – 7.20 percent
The 7.20 percent of Uganda’s population
living with HIV amounts to nearly 1.4 million
people, including an estimated 190,000
children. While access to antiretroviral
treatment has increased, so has the
prevalence of the disease itself, and it’s often
assumed that the two are connected. As it
becomes easier to obtain the lifesaving
treatment for HIV/AIDS, the urgency with
which people seek out HIV/AIDS testing and
the measures they take for protection have
declined. Of the people living with HIV in
Uganda, nearly a quarter are involved in HIV/
AIDS education in some respect, either as
students or staff.


9. Malawi – 10.80 percent
AIDS has been the leading cause of death
among adults in Malawi for several years,
though HIV prevalence have begun to decline.
In 2003, more than 100,000 new infections
were reported, whereas 46,000 new cases
were recorded in 2011. The government is
credited for counteracting the disease, but
continues to face challenges in funding, as well
as a gaping lack of data on high-risk groups
and a dearth of human resources needed to
obtain it.

8. Mozambique – 11.10 percent
In 2004, the rapid increase in prevalence of
HIV in Mozambique led the government to
declare the epidemic a national emergency.
The rate hit 16.4 percent among the 15-
to-49-year-old population. The country faces
additional difficulties without enough doctors.
In recent years, it was estimated that there are
just three doctors for every 100,000 people in
Mozambique.

7. Zambia – 12.70 percent
Despite an influx of foreign aid and attention,
Zambia’s HIV epidemic has not seen much of
an abatement, and the infection rates have
remained steady since the 1990s. In contrast
to many of its neighbors, Zambia’s HIV
epidemic affects more than just the
underprivileged class. Data show that infection
rates are actually quite high among the
wealthier and more educated people.
Increasing urbanization has had an
impact. Urban areas have become more
crowded, and just a third of the population
lives in rural areas.

www.afkinsider.com/58154/african-countries-highest-hivaids-rates/2/

6. Namibia – 13.30 percent
Though the numbers have dropped far below
the 22 percent rate reported in 2002, Namibia
still struggles to curb its epidemic. Government
programs aimed at increasing prevention
education have become main-streamed into
all development projects. Antiretroviral
treatment has been made accessible
throughout the country, even in remote rural
areas – a difficult task, given that Namibia is
the second most sparsely populated country in
the world.

5. Zimbabwe – 14.70 percent
Continuing political strife in Zimbabwe has
hindered efforts to address the country’s high
HIV prevalence, along with several other major
health crises that have diverted attention,
including a severe cholera epidemic and the
caving in of the public health system. Due to
difficult governmental circumstances, HIV
prevention efforts have been spearheaded by
the nonprofit sector, but often face a lack of
sufficient funding.

4. South Africa – 17.90 percent
South Africa’s near 18-percent HIV
rate translates to nearly 5.6 million people
living with HIV/AIDS in the country. While
prevention programs continue to amp up,
South Africa has also rolled out the largest
antiretroviral treatment program in the world,
drastically increasing access to the lifesaving
drugs in urban and rural areas, and increasing
life expectancy for those living with the
disease by more than five years. South Africa
has also struggled with its enormous
population of children left orphaned by HIV/
AIDS. It is estimated that 1.9 million children
have had one or both parents die from AIDS in
South Africa.

3. Botswana – 23 percent
Botswana has made headlines for
nationalizing free antiretroviral drug treatment
through public health services for all those
living with HIV/AIDS. The number of
infected is nearly a quarter of the population.
The government has amped up school-based
HIV/AIDS education, and continues to try
and find new methods to reach those who
have already aged out of school but represent
a high-risk group.

2. Lesotho – 23.1 percent
The second-highest HIV/AIDS prevalence
rates in Africa can be found in Lesotho, where
crippling poverty and lack of education and
awareness have made it difficult to curb the
epidemic. The government mounted
its National AIDS Strategic Plan and
established the Lesotho AIDS Program
Coordinating Authority in an effort to amp up
prevention efforts. It continues to subscribe to
international efforts headed by the World
Health Organization to increase citizens
access to antiretroviral drug treatment.

1. Swaziland – 26.5 percent
The tiny landlocked kingdom of Swaziland in
Southern Africa suffers from the highest rate of
HIV/AIDS in the world, in large part due to
cultural beliefs that discourage safe-sex
practices. Swaziland has been successful in
increasing access to antiretroviral drug
treatment. More than 80 percent of those in
need are able to access the drugs. HIV testing
is becoming more prevalent, but educators
have to fight the stigma associated with HIV
to encourage everyone, and young people
especially, to learn their status and take
preventive measures.

post the underlying causes of this issue rather than bland data