HIV/AIDS Timeline
As early as 1920 there were sporadic cases of, what we now know to be AIDS, in Africa.
It was thought that HIV crossed from chimpanzees to humans.
1981
The first official medical reports of previously healthy homosexual men indicating issues with the immune system are recorded in the United States. The infections, unusual for the time, including Pneumocystis Carinii and the rare aggressive cancer, Kaposi Sarcoma alerted authorities to the seriousness of the issue. This weakened immune system was to become the AIDS Epidemic.
1982
The term AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is first used.
A group of cases among homosexual men in Southern California suggested that the disease was spread through sexual contact, however there were also reported cases in haemophiliacs.
1984
National Cancer Institute in US announces the cause of the condition (retro virus) and creates blood test that can effectively diagnose the retro virus.
1986
85 countries report 38,401 cases of AIDS.
1987
The first drug treatment for HIV (AZT) is approved.
1993
Jane and Matthew spend 4 months on their honeymoon working in the civil war - cementing their deep desire to care for the Zulu people.
1995
There are an estimated 4.7 million new infections. A new type of drug, a protease inhibitor, is introduced and proved to be a great step forward in combating the illness.
1996
An estimated 23 million people world-wide are living with HIV.
1997
30 million people world-wide living with HIV. 16,000 new infections are occurring each day.
1999
Dr John Schwarz and his wife Rosalie, together with their two sons, John and Michael, travel to South Africa with an interest to learn more about the AIDS epidemic and to make a documentary on this. It was learnt that 40% of the antenatal women in the hospital where Dr Schwarz served as Superintendent (1975-1984) were positive for HIV infection. This was a death sentence. All these women died within a few years and 25% of their children contracted HIV at birth. Many of these children died and others were left as orphans. At this rate, almost half of the young adult population would die.
2000
Dr Schwarz and Mrs Schwarz formed the African AIDS Foundation.
33 million people world-wide were reported to be living with HIV and so far there had been over 14 million deaths.
2002
In this year there were 3.5 million new infections in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. Average life expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa falls from 62 years to 47 years. In certain countries life expectancy was as low as 33 years of age.
2003
US President Bush announces the PEPFAR Fund – Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Funds provided for antiretroviral drugs (ARV’s) make an enormous difference in the battle to contain the HIV pandemic.
2006
25 years has passed since the first reported case of AIDS.
Research indicates a 53% reduction of risk of HIV infection after male circumcision and in response, the South African Health Department encourages circumcision of adolescent boys. Further, a daily dose of HIV drugs reduces homosexual (male to male) infections by 44%.
2009
5.25 million people world-wide are now taking ARV’s.
2010
An African study indicates an antiretroviral based vaginal microbial reduced new infection by 39%.
2012
Worldwide there are 35 million living with HIV. In this year there are 2.3 million new infections and 1.6 million deaths.
Matthew and Jane do their first AAF trip with their four sons and establish relationships.
2013
UNAIDS announces new HIV Infections have dropped more than 50% in low and middle-income countries and the number of people taking ARV drugs has increased by 63% in past two years.
2018
- 36.7 million infected worldwide
- 2.1 million children infected
- 21 million on ARV’s
- 1.8 million new infections in 2016
- 1 million died in 2016
- Overall 35 million have died of HIV related disease
There is continual research however, there is still no vaccine. There is research into innovative areas such as gene therapy and immunotherapy. There is also more understanding of the ramifications of HIV infections, e.g. HIV is a distinct factor for heart disease (twice the risk).
According to the South African government the latest statistics are:
- Estimates 13.1% of the population are infected.
- Adults aged 15-49 - estimated 19.0% HIV positive
This equates to approximately 7.52 million living with HIV in 2018.
Since 2018 access to HIV treatment has improved and the number of deaths has diminished.
There are still 20.8 million people with HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa. Most of these are taking Anti Retroviral medication which reduces the risk of dying. Nevertheless 630,000 people in 2021 died from HIV and others suffer from extraordinary disadvantages of residual HIV, poverty, poor health, stigma, family breakdown, high unemployment, social inequality.
There are large numbers of teenage mothers.
We are fortunate to have a number of special African people who are excellent role models and we are able to assist them to teach the most disadvantaged how to overcome their great disadvantages.
2020
Covid Pandemic causes worldwide travel cessation and starvation in South Africa and Kenya. Our trusted partners carry on saving lives despite three years of no Australian visits.
2024
UNAIDS Fact sheet 2024
- 40 million with HIV/AIDS globally
- 1.5 million newly infected 2023
- 31 million on Antiretroviral medications
- 43 million have died from AIDS related illness in the past
- 800 thousand have died from HIV/AIDS in 2023
In Subsaharan Africa 62% of new infections were among women and girls.
In 2023 every week 3000+ new infections of adolescent girls and young women infected in Subsaharan Africa.
Funding has dropped for the last few years and is a serious problem.
This has been compounded by events in USA where some of the funding has been reduced due to corruption in USAID which has reduced available funds for testing and treatment.
AAF is involved with support for the many people still affected by HIV plus the disruption of all aspects of normal life caused by the pandemic.
South Africa is among the countries with the highest HIV rate in the world.
Our work at AAF has concentrated in an area of South Africa where we know the people and the problems they face.
The work and care of AAF has evolved since its inception. Initially the focus was in to help people understand the situation they were in and why so many young people were dying. This moved into a form of palliative care where countless people were dying without hope.
With the advent of ARV’s and the increasing availability of them, AAF has been able to help those people getting treatment to take it properly.
There are still deaths. The pool of infected and potentially infectious people is huge and as a result, the whole society has been dislocated.
Remembering, that 40% of women coming in to the hospital to deliver babies in 1999 all died of AIDS (i.e. almost half the young population) and 25% of their babies contracted HIV from their mothers at birth (this is no longer the case when mothers are treated with ARVs). What can be the effect on individual children and the society when 40% of young mothers died in the years after childbirth?
UNICEF estimates there are 3.7 million orphans in South Africa.
These are the children with whom AAF now works with. The work we do is extraordinarily valuable. We teach them and help them to understand their place in the world, that every single one of them is infinitely valuable with wonderful potential to achieve extraordinary things. In loving the children and sending volunteers to support and share with them, we marvel at the personal transformations taking place. AAF has the ability to transform the lives of children. We have seen this over and over again and it continues to be the motivation for our work.
AAF will continue to provide valuable help to the South African community and I encourage everyone to support this transforming work.