Mozambique’s Deputy Health Minister, Ilesh Jani, announced that the number of deaths related to HIV/AIDS in the country has decreased to 48,000 in 2022, compared to nearly 50,000 deaths recorded in 2021.
During the opening of a meeting of the National Council for the Fight against HIV/AIDS, Jani stated that HIV/AIDS remains the leading cause of death in Mozambique.
Of the 84,000 new infections recorded in 2022, 65% occurred in women, and the incidence of the virus in women aged 15 to 24 is three times higher than in males of the same age group.
Jani highlighted that approximately 28% of Mozambicans living with HIV have not been diagnosed.
According to estimates from the Ministry of Health, about 2.4 million people are currently living with HIV in Mozambique, with an average of 266 new infections per day, including 230 in adults and 36 in children.
While there has been a slight decrease in HIV prevalence to 12.4%, Mozambique still faces one of the highest rates in the world, as reported by the National Institute of Health in December.
Efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and improve diagnosis rates continue to be a priority for Mozambique’s health authorities.