Fifty-Eight Percent of HIV-Positive Africans Are Women, Says NGO

Fifty-eight percent of HIV-infected adults in Africa are women, said Ayodele Aderinwale, executive director of Africa Leadership Forum. Aderinwale made the statement at the start of "Leadership Challenges for African Women," a three-day regional conference in Nigeria tied in to an ALF campaign against HIV. Aderinwale said the pattern of infection indicates that females are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS than men and that gender discrimination and lack of access to education, communication and sexuality information by young people are major factors in the spread of the disease. "This pandemic will continue to rage until the issue of gender inequality is adequately addressed. It becomes imperative that women empowerment mechanisms, networks and frameworks be developed to tackle AIDS," said Aderinwale.

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