Madagascar
With less than 1 percent of the population estimated to be HIV positive, Madagascar is one of the few low-prevalence countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The recently expanded surveillance system has yielded more representative data, lowering the estimated national HIV prevalence rate from the previous estimate of 0.5 percent to 0.1 percent, according to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The 2007 Biologic Sentinel Surveillance found prevalence rates of 0.83 percent among pregnant women in Sainte-Marie and 0.35 percent in Morondava. However, several factors, including risky behaviors (particularly among youth) and political unrest that threatens the sustainability of HIV/AIDS prevention activities, have put Madagascar in danger of a larger HIV/AIDS outbreak. UNAIDS estimates that 14,000 people in Madagascar are HIV positive.
USAID is dedicated to assisting Malagasy programs working to maintain – if not reduce – the country’s low HIV prevalence. Following months of political turmoil and the military coup in March 2009, the U.S. Government (USG) suspended all financial and technical support to the Government of Madagascar. USG bilateral funding focusing on behavior change communication and youth outreach, a primary source for “ABC” (abstain, be faithful, and consistent and correct use of condoms) messaging, was suspended upon being awarded. Activities that were allowed to continue faced challenges in achieving results; for example, peer educators were advised to limit travel, significantly reducing the frequency of outreach activities and limiting their impact.
View the full USAID
HIV/AIDS Country Profile for Madagascar - September 2010 [PDF,
105KB].
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