Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS

Quick Facts: Who was Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS?

Subject:

Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS

Known for:

A global pandemic originating in primates, recognized as a major public health crisis since 1981.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The global pandemic of HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2023, HIV/AIDS had killed approximately 40.4 million people, and approximately 39 million people were infected with HIV globally. Of these, 29.8 million people (75%) are receiving antiretroviral treatment. There were about 630,000 deaths from HIV/AIDS in 2022. The 2015 Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that the global incidence of HIV infection peaked in 1997 at 3.3 million per year.

Career & Major Achievements

Global incidence fell rapidly from 1997 to 2005, to about 2.6 million per year. Incidence of HIV has continued to fall, decreasing by 23% from 2010 to 2020, with progress dominated by decreases in Eastern Africa and Southern Africa. As of 2023, there are about 1.3 million new infections of HIV per year globally. HIV originated in nonhuman primates in Central Africa and jumped to humans several times in the late 19th or early 20th century. One reconstruction of its genetic history suggests that HIV-1 group M, the strain most responsible for the global epidemic, may have originated in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, around 1920.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

AIDS was first recognized in 1981, and in 1983 HIV was discovered and identified as the cause of AIDS. In some countries, HIV disproportionately affects certain key populations (sex workers and their clients, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, and transgender people) and their sexual partners. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 63% of new infections are women, with young women (aged 15 to 24 years) twice as likely as men of the same age to be living with HIV. In Western Europe and North America, men who have sex with men account for almost two thirds of new HIV infections. Climate change impacts HIV risk, and the availability of and access to HIV prevention and treatment services, contributing to poor nutrition, impaired immunity, and poor adherence to treatment.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1920: 1920 Milestone — One reconstruction of its genetic history suggests that HIV-1 group M, the strain most responsible for the global epidemic, may have originated in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, around 1920.
2. 1981: 1981 Milestone — The global pandemic of HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue.
3. 1997: 1997 Milestone — Global incidence fell rapidly from 1997 to 2005, to about 2.
4. 2010: 2010 Milestone — Incidence of HIV has continued to fall, decreasing by 23% from 2010 to 2020, with progress dominated by decreases in Eastern Africa and Southern Africa.
5. 2015: 2015 Milestone — The 2015 Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that the global incidence of HIV infection peaked in 1997 at 3.
6. 2022: 2022 Milestone — There were about 630,000 deaths from HIV/AIDS in 2022.
7. 2023: 2023 Milestone — According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2023, HIV/AIDS had killed approximately 40.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS

True or False: “The initial outbreak of HIV/AIDS was exclusively confined to Western Europe and North America.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While significantly impacting those regions, the virus originated in nonhuman primates in Central Africa.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS