AIDS IN AFRICA

HISTORY OF AIDS

• Research suggests it has been around for 100 years
• First recorded case in 1976
• A similar virus is found in many chimpanzees
• Scientists say that the virus crosses between chimps and humans

SPREAD OF AIDS

• Often spread through sexual contact and/or blood
• Can be spread from mother to son or daughter
• If the babies don't get it at birth they will get it from breast milk
• Also spread through sharing of needles

ORPHANS CAUSED BY AIDS

• Millions of children have been orphaned each year
• Some countries alone have millions of orphans
• More than a billion dollars will be needed to care for the children
• Many children don't have care and starve and die

ECONOMIC IMPACT

• The disease has reduced the availability of human capital
• Unemployment rates is rising since people can't work
• Aids seriously reduces the taxable population by a lot
• The life expectancy has also decreased in Africa

ANTIRETROVIRALS

• They are hard to access for many African people
• They are drugs to help treat aids it's not a cure
• World Health Organization is starting to support these drugs
• Allow patients to live longer lives