Jegh K 210621 001
Jegh K 210621 001
Jegh K 210621 001
Research Article
Global Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS: A Resurgence
in North America and Europe
Romona D. Govender1, Muhammad Jawad Hashim1,*, , Moien AB Khan1, Halla Mustafa1, Gulfaraz Khan2,
1
Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Tawam Hospital Campus,
Al Ain 17666, UAE
2
Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University,
Tawam Hospital Campus, Al Ain 17666, UAE
1. INTRODUCTION not materialized due to high prevalence of HIV and limited access
to antiretroviral therapy among key populations [4]. HIV spread
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune proved to be multifactorial with social factors playing an import-
Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) continue to be a major global health ant role [5,6]. HIV testing had to adhere to the ethical principles
tragedy despite intense efforts in international and local initiatives protecting patient confidentiality and this together with stigma and
to address the pandemic. In 2001, the United Nations held a Special discrimination may have hidden the disease in many societies and
General Assembly where it was accepted that HIV/AIDS was a still continues to do so [7]. Developing countries particularly those
global public health crisis and the decision was made to inten- in Africa were not geared to handle the burden that HIV/AIDS
sify international action and mobilize resources to fight the pan- imposed on their fragile health systems [8]. This was not the only
demic. The millennium development goal six of the Millennium reason for the outbreak to become a pandemic. Preventive measures
Declaration of 2000, initiated a concerted global effort to tackle the such as condom use, prevention of mother-to-child transmission,
growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS [1]. After two decades and US$ voluntary male medical circumcision and community awareness
109.8 billion in donor funding [2], the global community needs to campaigns have been less successful than anticipated perhaps due
re-evaluate progress across world regions. to unaddressed systems issues [9]. Antiretroviral therapy had more
People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and thus it was anticipated that
Although antiretroviral treatment (ART) has reduced AIDS-
the incidence and mortality will decrease. Preexposure prophy-
related deaths, access to therapy is not universal, and the prospects
laxis, viral suppression leading to the concept of ‘Undetectable =
of curative treatments and an effective vaccine are still uncertain.
Untransmittable’ (U = U), and antenatal regimens were expected to
It has been argued that prevention and awareness programs may
further reduce the transmission of the virus [10,11]. HIV infections
prove to be more a viable approach [3]. However, these hopes were
vary by regions, even within countries [12,13]. These variations in
HIV prevalence have important implications in the efforts to bring
HIV pandemic under control. In this study, we intend to character-
*
Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Data availability statement: All data relevant to the study are included in the article and ize the epidemiological trends of HIV/AIDS globally from 1990 to
available online at http://ghdx.healthdata.org. 2019 during a time of changing antiretroviral therapy.
R.D. Govender et al. / Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health 11(3) 296–301 297
Figure 2 | Rising HIV incidence rates (per 100,000 population) over the
last decade in selected countries. (A) Italy. (B) Portugal. (C) Argentina.
(D) Spain. (E) United Kingdom. (F) United States.
3.3. Prevalence
The global burden of HIV/AIDS was 36.9 million cases in 2019,
corresponding to 0.5% of the world’s population, with a prevalence
rate of 476 cases per 100,000. Global HIV prevalence showed a
peak in 2005, decreasing for 5 years and then regaining a rising
trend since 2010 (possibly due to increased survival with ART).
Currently, prevalence is rising globally as well as in countries such
as South Africa, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Germany
and the United States. Both gross and age-standardized rates are
rising in these countries indicating that this is well in excess of
natural increase due to population growth. Portugal stands out Figure 3 | Geographical distribution of HIV/AIDS in Africa, ages 15–49
with a rapidly rising prevalence rate, from 86 to 370 per 100,000 years, 2017. Source: IHME, Local Burden of Disease – HIV, 2017.
R.D. Govender et al. / Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health 11(3) 296–301 299
The burden
Prevalence rate of human
Total number
Region (per 100,000 suffering (DALY
of cases
population) per 100,000
population)
Global 476 616 36,848,000
Europe 254 198 2,155,000
Germany 94 27 80,000
France 155 40 103,000
Italy 160 54 96,000
Spain 225 79 103,000
Netherlands 123 22 21,000 B
Switzerland 257 37 23,000
Russia 776 730 1,138,000
United Kingdom 196 30 132,000
Asia 100 157 4,538,000
China 39 98 551,000
India 131 187 1,826,000
Japan 36 7 46,000
South Korea 56 17 30,000
Australia 70 17 17,000
Americas 391 273 3,953,000
United States 531 127 1,743,000
Canada 253 49 92,000
Brazil 411 373 891,000
Africa 1990 2731 26,167,000
South Africa 14,251 13,821 7,922,000
Lesotho 17,883 27,335 374,000 Figure 4 | Age distribution of HIV/AIDS worldwide. (A) Incidence.
Botswana 15,007 12,406 351,000 (B) Prevalence.
Namibia 8546 8472 205,000
Zimbabwe 8175 7824 1,227,000 2010. Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Argentina and Portugal have wit-
Mozambique 7977 13,894 2,355,000 nessed even higher rates. Although, the underlying reasons for this
Zambia 6711 7467 1,224,000 trend are not clear and need further public health research, a study
Kenya 3329 5448 1,672,000
by Murray et al. postulates that a slowing down of the impact of
Uganda 3323 3114 1,367,000
Tanzania 2650 2715 1,503,000 public health HIV intervention programs may explain the increas-
ing trend notably among Men having Sex with Men (MSM) [19].
Notes: Selected countries shown in this table (all countries were included in the analysis).
A study conducted in Portugal investigating the drivers for the
Data source: Global Burden of Disease, 2019.
increased HIV transmission rates, identified MSM and transmis-
sion of drug resistant strains of HIV as important contributors [24].
4. DISCUSSION In 2016, Portugal had one of the highest diagnosis rates of HIV in
Europe [17]. Other studies in Europe, Brazil and the US indicate
The key finding from this study is the rising incidence of HIV in that young MSMs are disproportionately represented in new HIV
certain countries in Europe, North America and South America. transmissions [25]. In the United States, new HIV infections have
This alarming finding indicates a resurgence of the epidemic over been attributed mostly to key populations such as MSM, followed
the last decade. by heterosexual contact, and to a lesser extent to injection-drug use
[26,27]. In Spain, among newly diagnosed persons, the majority
We found global trends that indicate considerable progress in
were aged 25–34-year-old males [28]. Indeed, no region or coun-
curbing the HIV/AIDS pandemic worldwide. AIDS mortality is
try in the world has reached their 2020 target [15]. The hopes of
decreasing in most regions of the world, which is a remarkable
ending the AIDS epidemic in the near future are cast into doubt
achievement. HIV incidence reached a peak in 1998 with a rapid
with this resurgence.
decline until 2005 and thereafter the graph showed a gradual and
steady decline over time. Even countries like South Africa, which Successful treatment regimens of ART are shifting HIV into a
is an epicenter of the pandemic, showed a decline in incidence chronic disease. An increasing number of people receiving ART
rates. Much of this success may be attributed to primary and have near normal life-expectancy, resulting in more PLHIV expe-
secondary prevention programs, condom availability [22], male riencing other chronic diseases. A major public health implication
medical circumcision [23], pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and is that HIV-related healthcare needs will increase, placing a rising
ART particularly for HIV-positive mother-to-child transmission. burden on health systems. Yet, an estimated 17.2 million individu-
These concerted initiatives are funded by local governments as als with HIV are not receiving ART [29]. Of those receiving ART,
well as international donors and charitable foundations [2]. viral suppression is achieved in only 44%.
However, despite the global decline in incidence rates of HIV, Despite these global efforts to scale up prevention and treatment,
countries like the US and Spain show rising incidence rates since the picture in sub-Saharan Africa remains that of an uncontrolled
300 R.D. Govender et al. / Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health 11(3) 296–301
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