The executive director of the U.N. AIDS agency has stated that West and Central Africa could witness a surge in HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths over the coming years because of the disruptions in health services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While the rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related deaths have shown a steady drop over the past decade, 22% of AIDS-related deaths in 2020 were attributed to the region. UNAIDS data indicate that nearly 200,000 people in West & Central Africa became newly infected with HIV last year from among a total of 1.5 million worldwide. New infections have been rising among vulnerable groups, such as young girls and women, sex workers, gay men, drug users and prisoners… (Reuters, November 4, 2021)