Paynesville — A viral social media post claims that there are 45,000 people living with HIV in Liberia. The post didn’t explain whether it’s the current statistics on people living HIV, but it raises a concern that must be checked.
Report By: Grace Z. Gaie | Local Voices Liberia Fact Checker
HIV or human immunodeficiency virus is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system and if it is not treated it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV is mainly contracted through sex or blood transfusion.
The World Health Organization global 2020 HIV data and statistics show that over 37 million people are living with HIV in the world.
For Liberia, according to UNAIDS 2020 report, a total of 35,000 people are living with HIV in the country.
The report states 32,000 people above the age of 15 years are living with HIV. The total number of women, aged 15 and above, living with HIV in Liberia based on the 2020 UNAIDS stats, is 20,000 while the number of men, aged 15 years and above, living with HIV is 12,000. This means more women are living with HIV than men based on the report.
Meanwhile, the number of children, aged 0 to 14 years, living with HIV is 2,800.
Additionally, the report discloses the newly infected HIV rate for people – adults and children who were tested positive for the virus in 2020 – are 1,400; adults 15 and above are 1,100; women aged 15 and over newly infected with HIV are 1,000; men aged 15 and over newly infected with HIV are 500, and children aged 0 to 14 newly infected with HIV are 500.
Mr. Necus M. Andrews, the communication Officer at the National Aids Commission (NAC) who also relied on data from the UNAIDS 2021 Spectrum Estimates on HIV in Liberia, confirmed that the current statistics on persons living with HIV in Liberia stands at 35,000.
Conclusion:
Based on our research based on the available data published by UNAIDS and the National Aids Commission, the claim that 45,000 persons are living with HIV in Liberia is incorrect.
| Claim | Verdict |
|
45,000 persons are living with HIV in Liberia
|
Incorrect |
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