Globally, the number of new HIV (human
immunodeficiency virus) infections per 100 adults
(aged 15 to 49) declined by 44 per cent between 2001
and 2012. Southern Africa and Central Africa, the two
regions with the highest incidence, saw sharp declines
of 48 per cent and 54 per cent, respectively. Still, there
were an estimated 2.3 million cases of people of all ages
newly infected and 1.6 million deaths from AIDS-related
causes. Sub-Saharan Africa was the region where 70
per cent—1.6 million cases—of the estimated number of
new infections in 2012 occurred.