Timeline of AIDS in Africa

This timeline features some of the most important developments in the history of AIDS in Africa. Much more detailed information can be found in our individual Africa country pages.

Events are divided into five categories as follows:

  • Spread of AIDS
  • Science and prevention
  • Treatment
  • Global action
  • National event

Before 1970s

  • A form of simian immunodeficiency virus probably transfers to humans in Central Africa around 1930. The mutated virus would later become known as HIV-1.
  • The virus that would later become known as HIV-2 probably transfers to humans from sooty mangabey monkeys in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa around 19601.

1970s

  • Doctors in Zaire (later DRC) and Burundi see a rise in certain infections such as cryptococcal meningitis and PCP, a type of pneumonia, as well as diarrhoea and severe wasting2.

1982

  • A fatal wasting disease, known locally as ‘slim’, is becoming increasingly common in South West Uganda3.

1983

  • Heterosexually transmitted AIDS is noticed in a group of African patients in Belgium4.
  • Doctors in Zambia and Zaire are aware of a new aggressive form of Kaposi's sarcoma, which had previously been endemic but non-fatal5.

1984

  • Western scientists confirm that AIDS is widespread in parts of Africa, with strong indications of heterosexual transmission6.
  • The first AIDS research project in Africa, ‘Project SIDA’ is launched in Kinshasa, DRC7.

1985

  • Western scientists debate whether "slim disease" in Uganda is a new syndrome or identical to AIDS8.

1986

  • Uganda begins promoting sexual behaviour change in response to AIDS9.

1987

  • The first antiretroviral drug (AZT) is licensed to treat people with HIV, but is unavailable to virtually everyone in Africa10.
  • President Kaunda of Zambia announces that his son has died of AIDS11.
  • There have been 2,369 reported AIDS cases in Uganda and 1,608 in Tanzania12.
  • The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) is founded in Uganda13.

1990

  • There are an estimated 5,500,000 HIV cases in Africa and more than 650,000 estimated AIDS cases14.

1993

  • An estimated 9 million adults in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with HIV, with 1.7 million AIDS cases15.
  • The recorded number of HIV infections in South Africa grows by 60% in two years16.

1995

  • There are an estimated 1.9 million new infections in sub-Saharan Africa17.

1996

  • HIV prevalence among young pregnant women in Lesotho shoots up to 26% from 3.9% in 199218.
  • Effective combination therapy drugs become widely available in the West but are too expensive for most people living with AIDS in Africa19.

1997

  • Fela Kuti, Nigeria’s most famous musician dies of Kaposi’s Sarcoma, an AIDS-related illness20.

1998

  • A South African AIDS activist, Gugu Dlamini, is beaten to death by her neighbours after revealing her HIV positive status on television21.
  • HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa account for 70% of infections worldwide22.
  • The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) is founded by Zackie Achmat to lobby the South African government for access to AIDS drugs23.

1999

  • The South African President, Thabo Mbeki, disputes the efficacy of Western AIDS drugs, claiming that AZT is toxic24.
  • Nevirapine, a new single dose drug, provides hope for the future prevention of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV in Africa25.

2000

  • Two thirds of 15 year-old children in Botswana are predicted to die of AIDS before they reach 5026.
  • Five pharmaceutical companies offer to negotiate steep reductions in the prices of AIDS drugs for Africa27.
  • An International AIDS Conference is held in Africa for the first time28.
  • President Mbeki withdraws from the “does HIV cause AIDS” debate after causing much controversy29.

2001

  • It is estimated that 4.7 million South Africans are HIV-positive, including 24.5% of pregnant women30.
  • There are 1 million AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe31.
  • Nkosi Johnson, who famously fought for the rights of HIV positive people in South Africa, dies of AIDS aged twelve32.

2002

  • The Global Fund is established to boost the response to AIDS, TB and malaria in developing countries33.
  • Botswana begins Africa’s first national AIDS treatment programme34.
  • The South African government approves AZT as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for women who have been raped35.

2003

  • Drug manufacturers lower the prices of antiretroviral drugs for resource-poor countries36.
  • WHO launches the “3 by 5” initiative to widen access to AIDS treatment in developing countries37.
  • Of 4.1 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who need treatment for HIV, just over 1% are accessing it38.

2004

  • President Bush launches PEPFAR, a $15 billion AIDS initiative with 12 focus African countries39.
  • The South African government begins funding antiretroviral treatment for AIDS patients 40.
  • Uganda has reduced its HIV prevalence by 70% since the early 1990s41.
  • The G8 summit leaders promise to double aid to Africa and to ensure near universal access to antiretroviral treatment worldwide by 201042.
  • Nelson Mandela announces that his eldest son has died of AIDS43.

2006

  • 28% of people in sub-Saharan Africa who need treatment for HIV are receiving it44.
  • Large studies of male circumcision reveal firm evidence that the procedure reduces the risk of HIV infection45.

2007

  • Botswana has succeeded in cutting its mother-to-child transmission rate to under 4% - a rate comparable with the USA and Western Europe46.

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Written by Marta Zaccagnini.

References

  1. John Pickrell (2006) "Timeline: HIV & AIDS", New Scientist, September 4
  2. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (1998) ‘The historical question of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in the 1960s in the Congo River Basin area in relation to cryptococcal meningitis’ 58 273-6; Scandinavian Journal of Infectious diseases (1987) ‘Early Aids cases originating from Zaire and Burundi’ (1962-1976) 19, 511-17
  3. Serwadda D, Mugerwa RD, Sewankambo NK, et al (1985) 'Slim disease: a new disease in Uganda and its association with HTLV-III infection', the Lancet, 2:849-52
  4. Weller I., Crawford D.H., Iliescu V., MacLennan K., Sutherland S., Tedder R.S., and Adler M.W. (1984) 'Homosexual men in London: Lymphadenopathy, immune status, and Epstein-Barr virus infection ', Annals of the New York Academy of Science, Volume 437, edited by Selikoff I.J, Teirstein A.S. and Hirschman S.Z., The New York Academy of Sciences, p.248-249
  5. Bayley A.C. (1984) 'Aggressive Kaposi's sarcoma in Zambia’, 1983', the Lancet 1:1318-20; Coker R, Wood PB (1986) 'Changing patterns of Kaposi's sarcoma in N.E. Zaire', Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg., 1986;80(6):965-6
  6. Van de Perre, P, Rouvroy D.Lepage, P et. al. (1984) 'Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome in Rwanda', the Lancet 2:62-5; Piot P, Quinn T.C., Taelman H. et al. (1984), 'Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome in a heterosexual population in Zaire', the Lancet 2:65-69
  7. Illiffe, J (2006) “The African AIDS epidemic: A History” James Currey Press Oxford. Pg 13
  8. Serwadda D, Mugerwa RD, Sewankambo NK, et al (1985) 'Slim disease: a new disease in Uganda and its association with HTLV-III infection', the Lancet, 2:849-52 and Kamradt, T., Niese, D., Vogel F. (1985) 'Slim disease (AIDS)', the Lancet 1985;ii: 1425
  9. AIDS Action (1987) “Uganda: an AIDS control programme” Nov;(1):66.
  10. Approval of AZT', News release, March 20, 1987, Public Health Service, http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/NEW00217.html
  11. Bureau of Hygiene & Tropical Diseases (1987), 'AIDS Newsletter', Issue 16, October
  12. WHO (1987) 'Global Statistics' in Weekly epidemiological record 62(49), 372
  13. The New York Times (1990) ‘AIDS in Africa: A killer rages on’ September 16
  14. Chin, J. (1990) 'Global estimates of AIDS and HIV infections: 1990, in AIDS 1990, a year in review', Current Science Ltd. p. S277-S283
  15. WHO (1995) 'Global Programme on AIDS, progress report 1992-1993', p.2
  16. Bureau of Hygiene & Tropical Diseases (1993) 'AIDS newsletter' Vol.8 (7/8) May 31
  17. Human Sciences Research Council (2004) ‘An Audit of HIV/AIDS policies in Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe’, p.8
  18. Human Sciences Research Council (2004) ‘An Audit of HIV/AIDS policies in Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe’, p.8
  19. Brown D. (1996) 'With fanfare, Global AIDS Conference gets underway in Vancouver', the Washington Post, July 8
  20. The Washington Post (1997) ‘Nigerian Musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti Dies’, August 4
  21. The Associated Press (1998) ‘HIV Positive SAfrica Woman Murdered’, December 28
  22. UNAIDS (1998) 'AIDS epidemic update' [pdf], December
  23. Boston Globe (2000) ‘Killing him softly’, December 8
  24. Swarns R.L. (2000) 'South Africa in a furor over advice about AIDS', the New York Times, March 19
  25. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (1999) 'Researchers identify a simple, affordable drug regimen that is highly effective in preventing HIV infection in infants or mothers with the disease', July 14
  26. Gottlieb S. (2000) 'UN says up to half the teenagers in Africa will die of AIDS', the BMJ 53:67 July 8
  27. Kahn J. (2000) 'U.S. offers Africa billions to fight AIDS', the New York Times, July 19
  28. Swarns R. and L.K. Altman (2000) 'Amid controversy, South Africa opens World AIDS forum', the New York Times, July 19
  29. Agence France-Presse (2000) 'S Africa's Mbeki withdraws from HIV/AIDS debate: report', October 15
  30. Sidley P. (2001) '1 in 4 pregnant women in South Africa has HIV', the BMJ 322:755, March 31
  31. PHLS (2001) 'AIDS/HIV quarterly surveillance tables', Cumulative UK data to end March 2001, No. 50:01/1, April
  32. The Independent (2001) ‘Nkosi Johnson dies as he lived, a symbol of the tragedy of Aids; AFRICA'S CRISIS The boy whose simple eloquence shamed South Africa's president finally succumbs to the illness he fought with such courage.’, June 2.
  33. Brown D. (2002) 'Global Fund rebuffs U.S. in picking leader', the Washington post, April 25
  34. Irin News (2002) 'BOTSWANA: Free antiretroviral campaign might not last', January 2002
  35. Sidley P. (2002) 'Mbeki forced to do a U turn over AIDS drugs', the BMJ 324:997, April 27
  36. Sharma D. C. (2003) 'ARV prices nosedive after Clinton brokering', The Lancet 362:1467, November 1
  37. Kapp C. (2003) 'AIDS campaign signals new WHO priorities and approach', The Lancet 362:1900-1901, December 6
  38. Fleck F. (2003) 'WHO issues global alert after grim report on HIV/AIDS', BMJ 327:698, September 27
  39. Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, U.S. Department of State (2004) 'Bringing Hope and Saving Lives: Building Sustainable HIV/AIDS Treatment', August
  40. UNAIDS (2008) 'South Africa'
  41. Pilcher H.R. (2004) 'Uganda's HIV epidemic wanes', Nature
  42. Guardian (2005) 'G8 leaders agree $ 15bn Africa package', July 10
  43. BBC News (2005) 'Mandela's eldest son dies of AIDS', January 6
  44. WHO, "Towards Universal Access: Scaling up priority HIV/AIDS interventions in the health sector", 17th April 2007
  45. WHO (2007) 'WHO and UNAIDS announce recommendations from expert consultation on male circumcision for HIV prevention' 28 March
  46. The Boston Globe (2007) 'Saving the Babies: A Victory in Africa', 27 August

Last updated April 25, 2008