A study by the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience at Wits University has revealed that public health campaigns in Africa are failing to address the needs of people aged 50 and over living with HIV, despite their rapidly increasing numbers.
Published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, the research showed that the population of older adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa doubled between 2000 and 2016.
According to Wits University, one in four people living with HIV on the continent will be aged 50 or older by 2040.
Dr Luicer Olubayo, who led the study, said: “We often think of HIV as a disease of younger people. It doesn’t help that intervention campaigns are mainly targeted at the youth.”
The research, which examined data from Kenya and South Africa, found that older adults were less likely to perceive themselves as being at risk of HIV and had lower testing rates compared to younger groups.
It also highlighted that enduring stigma surrounding the virus remains a significant barrier to effective prevention and treatment.
