AIDS cases in sub-Saharan Africa near 29 million

The United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS reported last week that the number of people infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa at the end of 2001 was 28.5 million, up from 25 million at the end of 2000, Agence France-Presse reports. More than 2.2 million Africans died of AIDS-related complications in 2001. Women and girls now account for 58% of all HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Seven countries in the region now have HIV prevalence rates above 20% for those ages 15 to 49, with four nations now above 30%--Botswana with 38.8%, Zimbabwe with 33.7%, Swaziland with 33.4%, and Lesotho with 31% Six other sub-Saharan African nations have HIV prevalence rates above 10%.