Liberia
» Capital: Monrovia» Population: 3.24 million
» Concern started work in: 1996
» Concern's annual budget: €3,561,510
» Concern staff: 194
» GDP per capita: n/a
» Life expectancy: 42.5 years
» Living with HIV&AIDS: 8.2 percent
» Literacy: n/a
» Currency: Liberian Dollar
Dealing with HIV stigma - Liberia
Thursday, 29th November 2007
Concern is supporting Liberian partner organisation ELWA to help people suffering from HIV fulfill their potential and deal with the stigma they face.
Anna, Famatta and Faith are HIV positive. All three Liberian women have faced isolation and prejudice from their families and local communities as a result of the stigma associated with HIV. You can read their stories below.
Liberia and HIV
Liberia currently has a population of 3.3 million, with an average life expectancy of 47 years. 27% of children under the age of five are malnourished, and only 56% of adults over 15 are literate. Liberia has 130,000 people who have been displaced from their homes, and is hosting a further 50,000 refugees from other countries. 85% of the population are unemployed, and more than half the population are under the age of 20.
Whilst this last figure is both a potential strength and an opportunity for a young population coming out of the war, it has some serious implications. One of these is the threat of HIV and AIDS. The estimated adult prevalence rate is around 5.9%. This is an average figure and could be as high as 12%. This means that although the official estimate is that 100,000 people in Liberia have the virus, this could be as much as 220,000. With such a young population, there is a possibility that this figure could increase rapidly if the population are not aware of the problem.
