HIV/AIDS and Development Indicators in West and Central Africa: Stylized Facts

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2019
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IAUOE Social & Educational Journal
Abstract
West and Central Africa as a sub-region in Sub-Saharan Africa has 6.1 million HIV/AIDS infected persons, about 0.28 million AIDS-related deaths, 0.37 million new infections (the highest globally), around 2% prevalence among adults aged 15-49 years and approximately 0.55 million children aged 0-14 living with the virus. These figures are capable of undermining development indicators such as life expectancy, infant mortality rate, per capita income, nutrition, as well as education and health variables. This study examines the state of HIV/AIDS and development indicators in West and Central Africa, using stylized facts and literature review. The findings suggest that the burden of HIV/AIDS with respect to number of persons living with it, its prevalence, new infections and AIDS-related deaths appear relatively high in West and Central Africa while development indicators perform poorly. The study suggests that governments at all levels and other stakeholders in West and Central Africa should commit substantial resources to containing and hurting the spread of HIV/AIDS while treatment should cover all infected persons across the sub-region.
Description
Keywords
HIV/AIDS, Development indicators, West and Central Africa.
Citation