HIV/AIDS is one of the most serious health concerns in South Africa. The country has the highest number of people afflicted with HIV of any country, and the fourth-highest adult HIV prevalence rate, according to the 2019 United Nations statistics. According to a UNAIDS dataset sourced from the World Bank, in 2019 the HIV prevalence rate for adults aged 15 to 49 was 27% in Eswatini (Swaziland), 25% in Lesotho, 25% in Botswana and 19% in South Africa. Understanding HIV prevalence HIV prevalence does not indicate that a country has an AIDS crisis, as HIV and AIDS are separate conditions. HIV prevalence, instead, indicates that people remain alive, despite the infection. South Africa has the largest HIV treatment programme in the world. With the correct medication, HIV is a manageable chronic condition, like diabetes or hypertension. A population with a larger proportion of diabetics, means more people are receiving treatment for the condition. Hence, a population with a larger proportion of HIV-positive people, means more people are receiving anti-retroviral treatment. World Bank Open Data explains the data it publishes on HIV prevalence as follows: South Africa's HIV treatment programme was launched in earnest in 2005. The trend in South Africa's HIV and AIDS statistics has changed significantly in the years since then. Latest data on HIV prevalence in South Africa The World Bank and United Nations source their data on HIV prevalence from Statistics South Africa. According to Statistics South Africa's mid-year population estimates for 2018, the total HIV prevalence rate for the country is 13.1%. The HIV prevalence rate for all adults aged 15 to 49 is 19.0%.Statistics South Africa estimates the number of deaths attributable to AIDS in 2017 as 126,755 or 25.03% of all South African deaths. Other statistics By race A 2008 study revealed that HIV/AIDS infection in South Africa was distinctly divided along racial lines: 13.6% of Black Africans in South Africa are HIV-positive, whereas only 0.3% of Whites living in South Africa have the disease. False traditional beliefs about HIV/AIDS, which contribute to the spread of the disease, persist in townships due to the lack of education and awareness programmes in these regions. Sexual violence and local attitudes toward HIV/AIDS have also amplified the epidemic. By gender HIV/AIDS is more prevalent among females, especially those under the age of 40. Women made up roughly 4 in every 5 people with HIV/AIDS aged 20–24, and