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HIV - AIDS in Europe and Africa
Dr. Astrid Platzmann-Scholten

HIV is the name of the virus: Human Immundeficiency Virus
An HIV - infection is no AIDS disease, AIDS means the occuring of so calles opportunistc diseases
AIDS stands for Aquired Immun deficiency Syndrom

General Numbers
Number of people living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2007

• In NRW ~12.900 people
• In Germany ~ 59.000 people
• Worldwide ~ 33,5 milllion people (30,6 - 36,1 mil.)

In many regions of the world new infections with HIV especially among young people (15 -24 years) were recorded
In this age group about 45% of all new infections occured.
New infections in 2007: 2,7 Million people.

Women and AIDS
Worldwide an estimated amount of 50% of all people living with HIV are women
Regionally the situation considerably differences
NRW: about 2300 15 - 20%
GER: about 10.000 15 - 20%
Globally 17,7 Mio. 49,8%

Women and HIV Global Situation
Women are 3 - 6 times as likely to get infected with HIV:

• Higher concentration of the virus in seminal fluid
• Larger absorption surface for infectious secretion
• In partnerships shaped by violence safer sex often can‘t be achieved
• Women and HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa all in all about 24,7 million people are living with HIV. Nearly 60% of them are women.
The highest prevalence rates are to be marked in

• Swaziland
• Zimbabwe
• Botswana
• Lesotho
• Namibia

Women and HIV in Sub - Sahran Africa
In Zimbabwe about 20% of all people are living with HIV.
Life expectancy is estimated to be at
34 years for women
37 years for men

Pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa show a remarkable increase:
In 2004: 22,4%
In 2006: 30,2% of all pregnant women were living with HIV.
With 26,1 % of the population aged between 15 and 49 Swaziland shows one of the highes prevalence rates worldwide.
Life expectancy has declined from 65 to 35 years

Women and HIV / Special Cultural Aspects

• Lack of sexual self determination
• Economic dependancy
• „Sugar Daddys“
• Early „Desire for a child“ - „Image of women is confirmed“
• Patriarchal partnership structures, polygame men, so called „wife sharing“ among male family members.

Women and HIV - Cultural Aspects
Violance within partnership, use of condoms can not be realized, sexual practices of high risk: „dry sex“
Violance against women e.g., ritually genital mutilation and the consequences
Targeted rape fo „virgins“ by men living with HIV to cure the disease
Rape as means of warfare

Women and HIV - Transmission
In Southeast Asia inter alia sexwork/clients and women
In Eastern Europe above all I.V.D.U. and prostitution
In Southafrica mainly the „average citizens“ and her especially women are concerned.

Pregnancy and HIV/AIDS
In Western Europe rate of vertical infection mother => child <2%.
Without any attendance of pregnant women the infection rate in children at 18 - 20%.
In Europe > 80% of HIV-positive children experience their third birthday, in Africa at most 10%.

HIV/Aids in WHO European Region

Estimated number of HIV cases
People living with HIV/AIDS: 2,32 million (1,56 to 3,19 million)
Estimated prevalence: 0,51% (0,26 to 0,75%)
source: WHO/UNAIDS (Januar 2006)

Registered number of HIV cases
HIV-infections: 957 610
Aids-cases: 321 380
Aids-deaths: 186 752
source: WHO-Regionalbüro für Europa (August 2006)

HIV in Eastern Europe
According to WHO and UNAIDS an estimated 2,32 Million people were living with HIV/AIDS in the 52 member states of the European region
Most of them (1,6 million) in European countries and in Central Asia.
In three European countries ( Estonia, Russian Federation and Ukraine) the estimated HIV prevalence exceeds 1%.

HIV in Eastern Europe
The HIV epidemic in Middle and Eastern Europe continues to spread faster than anywhere else. According to estimations the annual increase in the number of new HIVcases was 40% higher than in sub-Saharan Africa

HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe - to instance Ucraine
Ukraine with two main groups of affected people
I.V.D.U
Prostitution in combination with drug use
Children of infected mothers
Correlation between „unsafe” work and HIV infection is often unknown
About 80% of the CSW work under bad conditions in the streets and are at the highest risk to get infected with HIV

Average numbers are:
~60% of CSW are infected with STD‘s
~40% Syphilis
~35% Hepatitis B
~13% areHIV infected

In cities like Odesa, Kyiv, Donezk etc. the estimated prevalence rate of HIV infections is at 29%.
HIV-Epidemic with outbreak among the drugusers has reached „normal citizens“.
MSM fear an „outing“ , don‘t undergo medical treatment and frequently lead a double life