Southern Africa Regional Program
Southern Africa remains the global epicenter of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
The World Bank has stated that the “hyper” epidemic in the countries at the
epicenter is a continental – and global – exception, unlikely to occur elsewhere.
In 2007, the region accounted for 35 percent of all people living with HIV
worldwide and 32 percent of the world’s new HIV infections and AIDS deaths.
According to UNAIDS, in 2005, eight countries in southern Africa (Botswana,
Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and
Zimbabwe) had a national adult HIV prevalence higher than 15 percent.
Prevalence rates in the region have for the most part leveled off. Although
Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe appear to have had significant declines in
prevalence, UNAIDS cautions that the extent of these declines is not clear due
to inconsistencies in the data.
The USAID Regional HIV/AIDS Program (RHAP), based in Pretoria, South Africa, supports five PEPFAR focus countries, three
bilateral programs, and three non-USAID presence countries (Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland). RHAP responds to regional
priorities on HIV/AIDS, focusing on prevention, human capacity development and capacity building, and partnering with African
institutions; promoting knowledge management and the sharing of best practices; and ensuring donor coordination and
harmonization. In addition, RHAP provides quality technical assistance through five regional advisors and coordinates additional
technical assistance for regional programs as needed.
View the USAID
HIV/AIDS Regional Health Profile for Southern Africa - September 2008 [PDF, 174KB].
Related Links
Country Programs in this Region:
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