Key populations and Sub-Saharan Africa’s HIV response

Abstract

Background: The global HIV epidemic has had the greatest impact on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). An estimated 67% of the 38.4 million people living with HIV (PLWH) globally in 2021 were from SSA. SSA was responsible for 670,000 of the 1.5 million new infections and 280,000 of the 650,000 AIDS-related deaths reported globally in 2021. 70% of the new infections reported globally in 2021 were among key populations and their partners. In SSA, key populations accounted for 51% of new infections in 2021 (1).