| Overview : Although Africa made impressive advances in recent years in expanding HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services across the regions, the progress has been uneven in benefitting and reaching all sections of the community. A growing body of epidemiological evidence shows that certain population groups continue to bear a disproportionately high burden of HIV infection. These are mainly sex workers and their clients, men who have sex with men (MSM), and people who use drugs (PWUDs). UNAIDS defines these groups as key population as they are most likely to be exposed to HIV or to transmit it [and] their engagement is critical to a successful HIV response i.e. they are key to the epidemic and key to the response.
In several African countries where data is available, new HIV infections are found to be much higher among key populations compared with the general population. For example, key populations and their sex partners account for as much as 51% of new infections in Nigeria, 33% in Kenya, 27.5 % in Mozambique, and 80% in Morocco. Hence, it is clear that in order to arrest and reverse the HIV epidemic, there is an urgent need for renewed commitment to developing focused and ground-breaking strategies for making comprehensive HIV services available and accessible to key populations across Africa. Yet, in spite of the growing body of knowledge and data, programs addressing the specific needs of key populations in Africa continue to be limited, under-resourced and highly controversial. |
