According to estimates from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 10 countries accounted for almost half of all new HIV infections in 2021. South Africa, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda alone nearly accounted for nearly one third of the estimated 1.5 million new infections last year, indicating that Sub-Saharan Africa remains the epicenter of the HIV pandemic.

While the number of new infections has dropped from 2.9 million in 2000 to 1.5 million last year, the number of people living with HIV increased from 26 million to more than 38 million over the past two decades. According to UNAIDS, the increase is not only caused by new infections, but also a testament to the progress that has been made in treating HIV with antiretroviral therapy, which has vastly improved the outlook of those infected with HIV.