the impact of hiv/aids on the education sector in tanzania

2.1 The global picture
2. MAGNITUDE OF THE HIV/AIDS PROBLEM
Globally <strong>the</strong> HIV/AIDS epidemic has reached alarming levels. It has proved to be
much more extensive than predicted: every passing year sees a revision upwards <strong>of</strong> estimates
and projections. In 1991 <strong>the</strong> World Health Organization (WHO) expected that by <strong>the</strong> year
2000 some 20 million individuals worldwide would be infected with <strong>the</strong> Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). That prediction was almost three times short <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mark. By
<strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> 2001, almost 22 million people had already died <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> disease, whilst more than
40 million adults and children were living with HIV/AIDS (UNESCO, 2002).
Recent estimates indicate that by <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> 2002 42 million people were living with
HIV/AIDS, <strong>of</strong> whom 38.6 million were in <strong>the</strong>ir most productive years, that is between <strong>the</strong>
ages <strong>of</strong> 15 and 49, and 3.2 million were children aged 15 years or younger (UNAIDS and
WHO, 2002). The worldwide infection rate stood at 0.4 per cent. In 2002 alone, 5 million
people (including 800,000 children) became infected with HIV/AIDS and 3.1 million died <strong>of</strong>
AIDS (see Table 2.1).
Table 2.1 The global HIV/AIDS situation at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> 2002
People newly infected with
HIV
Number <strong>of</strong> people living with
HIV/AIDS
Total
Adults
Women
Children under 15 years
Total
Adults
Women
Children under 15 years
AIDS-related deaths Total
Adults
Women
Children under 15 years
Number <strong>of</strong> AIDS orphans
since <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
epidemic until <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> 2001
Source: UNAIDS and WHO, 2002
5.0 million
4.2 million
2.0 million
800,000
42.0 million
38.6 million
19.2 million
3.2 million
3.1 million
2.5 million
1.2 million
610,000
Total 14 million
About half <strong>of</strong> all people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) became infected before <strong>the</strong>
age <strong>of</strong> 25 and died approximately 10 years later. By <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> 2001 <strong>the</strong>re was a cumulative
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